### Identification The **Badge Huntsman (*Neosparassus diana*)** is a master of camouflage until it decides to show off. While its dorsal (top) side is a muted, velvety buff or orange-brown—perfect for blending into eucalyptus bark—its true identity is revealed underneath. On the underside of the abdomen, you’ll find a striking, shield-shaped "badge" of black, bordered by vivid white or orange. Unlike the common "house huntsmen," *N. diana* is stockier, with a body length up to 22mm and a leg span reaching 120mm. Look for black-and-white banding near the joints of its powerful, sprawling legs.
### Habitat & Range Endemic to Australia, this species is particularly common across the southern half of the continent, from Western Australia through to New South Wales. You won’t usually find them behind your picture frames; instead, they prefer the Great Outdoors. They thrive in dry sclerophyll forests and woodland scrub, typically sheltering under the peeling "ribbons" of bark on Eucalypts or tucked within the dense foliage of shrubs.
### Behaviour Named after Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, these spiders are quintessential nocturnal wanderers. While most huntsmen are known for their flat bodies that squeeze into crevices, *N. diana* is more of a foliage-dweller. During the day, females construct a "retreat" by silking several green leaves together into a tough, protective pocket. If threatened, they don't just run; they perform a dramatic "deimatic display," rearing up to expose their colorful abdominal badge to startle predators.
### Diet An agile ambush predator, *N. diana* eschews webs for raw speed. They forage at night, lunging at moths, crickets, and beetles with explosive acceleration. Their size and potent venom also allow them to occasionally overpower small geckos or skinks that cross their path on the trunk.
### Fascinating Fact Unlike many spiders that abandon their young, the Badge Huntsman mother is a devoted guardian. She will stay inside her silken leaf-nest, fiercely clutching her egg sac and refusing to eat for weeks until the spiderlings emerge and undergo their first molt!