Desertas Wolf Spider (Hogna ingens)

Endemic to Deserta Grande, but restricted to Valle de Castanheira, in the highest part of the island. This spider is 8 cm long (including leg length) and has been dubbed the ‘tarantula’ of the Desertas, though it bears no relation to real tarantulas. However, it is the world’s largest representative of the genus Hogna. A nocturnal creature, it shelters under rocks during the day. It does not spin webs but is an excellent hunter, feeding on centipedes, terrestrial crustaceans, insects and small lizards. Reproduction takes place in summer and involves a complex courtship and copulation, after which the male dies, while the female spins a silk cocoon for the eggs. The female transports the newborn spiders on her abdomen thus protecting them until the first moult.