Brazilian banana spider - what it looks like, its varieties, is it dangerous for humans

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Banana spider , or as it is also called, the golden spider, or the wandering soldad spider, is a poisonous spider.
In 2022, it even entered the Guinness Book of Records due to the strong toxicity of its poison. Modern medicine has made great strides, thanks to which doctors have learned to make an antidote. This helps reduce the number of deaths after an arthropod bite. The spider is called a banana spider because it is often found under the skin of the fruit, or inside a bunch of bananas. Thus, it spreads almost throughout the world and poses a great danger.

What does a banana spider look like?

Banana spider.

Dolomedes briangreenei

Photo source: Twitter @bgreene

More recently, a new species of spider was discovered in Australia, which received the Latin name Dolomedes briangreenei. This is so far the only known spider in Australia that can swim and skillfully hunt fish.

Scientists have found that it prefers to live on the shores of freshwater bodies of water and streams near Brisbane. In the same Australian city, a new spider was introduced to the world.

With the help of its hind pair of paws, it quickly moves along the surface of the water, and when it sees prey, it immediately dives and captures its victim. Then he pulls the fish ashore, and only when he is on the ground does he eat the prey.

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Description of banana spider

Name: Banana spider Lat.:
Banana spiders

Class: Arachnida - Arachnida Order: Spiders - Araneae Family: Wandering - Phoneutria

The banana spider is a member of the genus of wandering spiders or Phoneutria, which is Latin for “killers.”

This group of arachnids is considered the most dangerous and all species are endowed with extremely toxic poison.

Banana spider.

The banana spider also has another, lesser known name: the wandering soldier spider. This species received this name due to its courage and aggressiveness. In case of danger, representatives of this species never flee.

Even if the enemy is ten times larger than the spider itself, the brave “soldier” will remain standing opposite him and take a fighting position. In this position, the spider stands on its hind legs, and raises its upper limbs high up and begins to sway from side to side.

The banana spider received its more popular name due to its tendency to establish its shelters on banana palm trees. The habitat of this species is limited to the tropical forests of South and Central America, and the wide world became aware of the dangerous spider only thanks to individuals traveling inside banana bunches.

Brazilian wandering spiders also often travel in banana bundles.

Loxosceles

The terrifying appearance of this recluse spider and its photographs on the Internet have given rise to a stereotype about the danger of the Loxosceles species. But, as scientists assure, this creature with long legs and a small body is not that dangerous.

True, after its bite, the wounds take a long time to heal, and the poison is toxic and leads to allergies. But these spiders rarely attack people, and so far no victims of a Loxosceles bite have been recorded in Australia.

In addition, this species is small in number; hermit spiders live only in certain areas of the mainland, far from populated areas, so meeting them is very difficult.

Peculiarities of banana spider reproduction

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The mating season for soldier spiders lasts from late April to early May. Males go on active searches for individuals of the opposite sex and become especially aggressive at this moment. It is during the mating periods of these spiders that the greatest number of cases of human encounters with them is recorded.

After the males find a suitable female, they try to attract her attention with a special “mating dance”. After mating, males try to move away from the female as soon as possible, because otherwise they risk being eaten. 15-20 days after fertilization, the female lays about 3 thousand eggs in a prepared cocoon and carefully guards them until hatching.

Body size and structure

Banana spiders look terrifying - the body is from 1 to 4 centimeters, the paw span reaches 12 centimeters. The females that weave webs are of such enormous size; the males are several times smaller. The body is covered with small hard hairs, the color is gray, brown, almost black.

The female lays eggs in cocoons, which she attaches to the web in secluded places. Each female has up to a dozen cocoons with 10-50 eggs.

The legs of the Nephila spider are powerful and equipped with hooks. Females quickly weave a web, secreting a liquid secretion of different composition. The network in one row contains absolutely even cells, which increase in size in the rows farthest from the center.

If the trembling prey destroys the cocoon, the female quickly runs up and restores the net. The prey has no chance of escaping.

Banana Spider Lifestyle

Dangerous banana spiders never establish a permanent home for themselves, as they lead a nomadic lifestyle. Soldier spiders hunt exclusively at night. This species is extremely aggressive and rarely hunts from ambush.

As soon as a potential victim comes into the banana spider's field of vision, it quickly approaches it and immobilizes it with poison.

It is also worth noting that the soldier spider is not at all afraid of people and if a person tries to approach it, it will most likely try to attack.

Diet of the soldier spider

Representatives of this species feed on almost any living creature they can overcome. The basis of their diet includes:

• large insects;
• other spiders;
• lizards;
• snakes;

• reptiles;
• amphibians;
• rodents;
• small birds.

Natural enemies of the banana spider

The banana spider has few enemies in the wild. A serious threat to them and to other representatives of the genus of wandering Brazilian spiders is posed by:

• tarantula hawk wasp;
• large rodents;

• predator birds;
• some amphibians.

What does it eat?

Common prey for arachnids are insects of various species that get stuck in webs. Banana spiders are considered beneficial because they regulate the population of many pests.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes often end up in nets; for tropical areas this is a real benefit, since harmful insects carry different types of fever.

flies

Orb weavers often end up in human homes and reduce the number of flies. Arachnids also prevent flies from multiplying uncontrollably in nature—flying insects often get stuck in webs.

Cockroaches

Infestation of homes with cockroaches leads to an increase in the arachnid population. A random orb moth will breed if there are cockroaches in the house to feed on.

Ants

The ubiquitous ants also get caught in the placed nets, although they can hardly be considered a constant source of food for the arachnids.

How dangerous is a banana spider bite?

Banana spider venom contains very dangerous toxins that cause paralysis of the victim. The bite of a soldier spider poses a serious threat not only to health, but also to human life, and can lead to the following consequences:

• severe pain and swelling;

  Spider in bananas.

• breathing problems;
• dizziness and loss of consciousness;
• tachycardia and pressure surges;
• numbness of the limbs;
• seizures and hallucinations.

An adult, healthy person with a strong immune system can be saved if you promptly seek medical help and administer an antidote. But, for people prone to allergic reactions and small children, the bite of a soldier spider can be fatal.

Australian tarantulas

Tarantulas are found on many continents of the planet, but it is in Australia that these spiders are the largest. Together with their paws, some species reach 23 cm in length, and their fangs grow up to 1 cm and have a rather menacing and frightening appearance.

The most unique species is Selenocosmia, locally called the "Queensland whistling tarantula" because it makes an unusual hissing sound.

As you can see in the photo, this type of hairy spider, like all tarantulas, grows to impressive sizes, and their bite, although not fatal to humans, is quite painful and causes discomfort.

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Interesting facts about banana spiders

1. The soldier spider can make so-called “dry” bites. This refers to cases where a dangerous spider bit a person, but did not inject poison. Not all types of arachnids are able to control the injection of poison during a bite and do similar things.
2. One of the consequences of a banana spider bite can be priapism. This is the name given to prolonged and very painful erections in men. Some “victims” of the soldier spider claimed that, thanks to the bite, their intimate life became better, but of course there is no documentary evidence of this.
3. In 2010, the wandering soldier spider was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most poisonous arachnid.

Behavior in the wild

Banana spiders are predators. Weaving and using webs is a major part of the life of orb weavers.

To catch prey, they weave huge nets (up to one and a half meters in diameter), in which they can catch even small animals - lizards, mice, birds. The arachnids themselves watch over unwary insects nearby, catching the slightest vibrations of the web with their sensitive paws.

The best time for hunting is at night, when the web shines, attracting many insects with reflected light, which become prey, getting stuck and sticking to the nets.

Banana spiders have glands that produce a liquid secretion to produce web threads. The female injects poison into the stuck prey, then wraps it in a net to firmly hold it until the required time.

In limbo, a half-dead victim can hang for several hours until the spider decides to have lunch. Males do not weave webs; they feed on the remains of their prey. After mating, males often die - the female eats them.

The spider that constantly lives in bananas does not eat fruit. He gets enough of the insects that are attracted to the fruits and foliage of banana groves.

Cerbal Arabian

This species of arthropod lives in Israel and Jordan. The specimen was discovered relatively recently - in 2003.

Its dimensions range from 20 to 25 cm. The color of the spider is adapted to the shade of sand, among which it spends most of its time. It attacks prey only at night and hides among small stones during the day.

It lives mainly in Arabia, which is where its name comes from - Arabian cerbal. It is completely safe for humans, so it is often found at home.

Arachnid Phalanx

This spider can also be called a camel spider due to the hump on its back. All individuals of this species are very active, but are strictly nocturnal. The body and limbs are covered with hairs.

Phalanx arachnids are characterized by fast reactions

The individuals' vision is quite remarkable. They have another extra pair of eyes on the sides, like scorpions. Spiders distinguish light and are able to react to movement. Due to this, the arachnid's reaction is very fast. It attacks the victim with a delay of a split second, thanks to which the giant spider is considered not only an excellent hunter, but also an elusive creature.

Another notable feature of the spider is its chelicerae. They are so strong and durable that it can bite through not only the skin, but also a human nail. Externally, each chelicera resembles a crab claw. It is with them that he rips off the fur and feathers from his prey, and then lines his home with the material.

It can reach 25 cm in size including legs. It lives mainly in desert areas and can be found on all continents. This is the most common spider on the planet.

Brazilian orange-pink tarantula

The first mention of this spider dates back to 1917. This is a rare endemic species. Its habitat is limited to one place, in particular, the state of Paraiba in Brazil. Individuals cannot live in other places.

The Brazilian tarantula is not the largest spider on Earth, but it is the most expensive. Its cost is incredible considering that the population is very small.

The body is colored brown or black, gradually turning into gray at the tips of the paws. The size ranges from 20 to 26 cm. The main diet consists of insects, but it also likes to feast on small lizards, frogs and smaller spiders.

Purple Colombian tarantula

You can often find this giant spider at home. But the character of the individuals is far from friendly; for the most part they are very aggressive. However, those who like this arthropod are happy to buy it and keep it at home.

The purple Colombian tarantula is also found in homes and is not very aggressive in nature.

He hunts from cover, lying in wait for his prey in a secluded corner. It catches its prey very quickly and pierces it with powerful chelicerae. It feeds on small lizards, frogs, fish and small insects. It lives mainly in the tropical forests of Panama, Ecuador and Colombia.

This arachnid can live up to 15 years if conditions allow, and its size can reach 22 cm.