sicarius

A genus of spider that occurs in Africa, in the southern hemisphere. With six eye arranged in groups of two (diads), lend to the name "six-eyed sand spider" also known as crab spiders in South Africa. What are called crab spiders in the USA are actually of the family Thomisidae, Sicarius on the other hand is more closely related to the genus Loxoceles than Thomisidae. Sicarius spiders are found in sandy deserts and hunt by burrying themselves in the sand and lying in wait for prey. For this reason they are rarely encountered by humans, which is good considering the venom is the most potent spider venom in the world, even more than the Phoneutria (wandering spiders) or Atrax robusta (sydney funnel web. The effects are similar to bites of L.reclusa,due to very similar chemical properties, but FAR more potent. They are reluctant to bite, but should never be handled.