Can anyone identify this critter?

[Cedars]

Thanks - hard to decide, though. It does not seem to be the local rain spider that I know well - that one is darker and somehow different-looking, although without a live specimen at hand the difference is difficult to pinpoint. I showed it to my sister, who also thought it was a different species. Still, it is very possibly a relative, and if I spot my garden pet again, I'll know what to look for!

 

Maybe you got lucky and encountered an uncommon spider.

 

Heres more on the Rain spider.

 

Palystes (rain spiders, lizard-eating spiders)

 

"The diagnostic features are a white moustachial stripe below the anterior (front) eyes and extending down the chelicerae (fangs) as well as banding on the ventral (underside) of the legs."

*maybe next time you could pick it up and photograph its underside :phones:

 

S. Africa has 13 species in the genus Palystes, though it seems some are kinda isolated. Could be this one hitchhiked into you area. Could also be some local construction dislodged this guy from its preferred location.

 

If you do get a positive ID on this one, you might want to think about submitting it to the above link to increase their data. It is a nice picture.