- life . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁described ▁by ▁Charles ▁Ath an ase ▁Wal ck ena er ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 . ▁ ▁Be havior ▁ ▁High ly ▁unusual ▁among ▁sp iders , ▁the ▁flat ▁hun ts man ▁sp ider ▁is ▁a ▁social ▁species , ▁even ▁sharing ▁pre y . ▁They ▁are ▁often ▁found ▁under ▁loose ▁b ark ▁( the ir ▁flat ▁shape ▁is ▁an ▁ad a ption ▁for ▁this ) ▁in ▁colon ies ▁up ▁to ▁ 3 0 0 , ▁but ▁they ▁are ▁highly ▁ag gress ive ▁and ▁commonly ▁can n ib al istic ▁toward ▁members ▁from ▁other ▁colon ies . ▁They ▁h unt ▁their ▁food ▁rather ▁than ▁spin ▁web s ▁for ▁it . ▁They ▁are ▁tim id ▁towards ▁humans ▁and ▁bit es ▁are ▁inf re quent , ▁and ▁when ▁they ▁occur , ▁sympt oms ▁are ▁usually ▁very ▁minor . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁ ▁The ▁species ▁is ▁found ▁all ▁over ▁Australia , ▁including ▁Tas mania . ▁It ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁Its ▁range ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁expanded ▁slowly ▁out ▁of ▁Av ond ale , ▁a ▁sub urb ▁of ▁A uck land , ▁hence ▁the ▁alternative ▁New ▁Zealand ▁common ▁name . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁sculpt ure ▁in ▁the ▁Av ond ale ▁sho pping ▁centre ▁celebr ating ▁the ▁sp ider . ▁ ▁App earance ▁and ▁gen et ics ▁Male ▁D . ▁cancer ides ▁have ▁a ▁body ▁length ▁of ▁, ▁while ▁females ▁are ▁larger , ▁with ▁a ▁body ▁length ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁body ▁is ▁light ▁brown ▁and