| “ | This Megarachne, or Mesothelae spider, is the size of a human head. She'd be hunting cats if she were alive today. | „ |
| — Allen Johnson, about Megarachne in Arthropods of the Swamp | ||
Megarachne (name meaning "Great Spider"), often called the Mesothelae spider, is a genus of giant arachnid arthropod that originated during the Late Carboniferous era in what is now North America and Europe. Often referred to as the literal "Black Widow of the Prehistoric World", this is the largest spider species of all time, roughly the size of a human head.
In the Series 1 episode "Arthropods of the Swamp" a single female Megarachne named Charlotte was brought to the park from Late Carboniferous Scotland, 300 million years ago. She resides in the Bug Dome Enclosure with other Megarachne that followed the team through the portal.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
Megarachne lived in North America and Russia as well as Scotland during the Late Carboniferous period, about 303 – 298 million years ago. Despite its small size compared to other Carboniferous carnivores, Megarachne was among the apex predators of its time.
Megarachne was originally described in 1874 by the American zoologist Oscar Harger after being found in the Ochil Hills, Scotland.
Physical Attributes[]
With a body length of a little over a foot long, Megarachne was a very large spider with large fangs. Its body alone (minus the legs) was the size of a human head, making Megarachne the largest known spider that has ever existed, larger in size and mass compared to the modern Goliath bird-eating spider and longer in leg span compared to the Giant huntsman spider. Additionally, despite being a large spider, Megarachne was very fast and agile, able to move at speeds of around 10 mph (16 km/h) and leap a relative distance of around 32 ft, similar to jumping spiders. And despite the design of its eyes, Megarachne possessed excellent sharp eyesight, having a full 360 view of its environment.
Behavior & Traits[]
Megarachne fossil
Like most spiders, Megarachne was a solitary, ambush predator that lived in holes underground, similar to modern day trapdoor and turret spiders. In addition to the iconic orb-web, Megarachne also hid safe inside burrows in the ground and used its silk to create carefully constructed trip lines that would pick up vibrations from outside their holes. If prey was detected, Megarachne would ambush its victim and chase it until it was killed. When the spider caught and killed its target prey, Megarachne would take its victim back to its burrow, inject its digestive juices into the killed prey, and dissolve them from the inside.
However, living in burrows always had its risks because it could easily be destroyed by a flood because of the rising waters of the Carboniferous. Once that happened, assuming they survived the flood, Megarachne had to leave their home and had to either create their own homes or wander out into the open and search for another burrow. Megarachne did not like to share their home even with others of their kind, leaving a wandering giant spider vulnerable to the larger predators of the Carboniferous. Nevertheless, for its time, Megarachne was a successful predator.
Journal Entry[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Megarachne is the first and largest prehistoric spider brought back to the park.
- In real life, Megarachne is actually a eurypterid, or sea scorpion, despite the meaning of its name.