The Moonspider, Galeodes luna, is a dark-colored, vicious, nocturnal galeodid sun spider from the lowlands of Skull Island. It measures 6-8 inches long.
Night on the ground on Skull Island is a dangerous time and place to be if you are small. Among the invertebrate predators, few have jaws that can compete with those of the moonspider. A variety of sun spider, not a true spider, the ten-legged moonspider sports huge crushing mandibles and paralytic venom to make short work of its prey. Rodents, lizards, small ground birds, and even non-avian dinosaur chicks are potential victims. A bite from the sizable arachnid can cause significant discomfort to even an adult dinosaur. Moonspiders hunt at night to avoid becoming prey to diurnal birds and other large hunters.
Dirty Tricks
A particularly nasty tactic developed by moonspiders is to wait near dinosaur nests just as young are hatching. Tuned to pick up the faint scent of egg matter on a night breeze that might indicate the early stages of a hatching, moonspiders are drawn to nests where young are still struggling to free themselves from their shells. In this vulnerable state they are easy prey for the invertebrate.