Golden spider Nephila komaci (lat. Nephila komaci)

What does a banana spider look like?

Banana spider.

Pecilotheria rufilata

This tarantula spider grows up to 8 cm, and taking into account the paw span, up to 23-24 cm. It can be found in the southeast of India. Adults make their nests mainly in hollows or tree branches, while young animals prefer to stay close to the ground.

Rufilata has a very rich greenish color with yellow and dark brown patches on the legs. His entire body is covered with red hair, with the exception of his abdomen.

Like all tarantulas, it eats insects, lizards, birds, and will not neglect small rodents. Although this spider is very aggressive, there are many who want to keep it as a pet.

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.

a brief description of

The spiny orb spider attracts entomologists with its shape and color. This insect is small.

The size of the male does not exceed 3 mm, the females are many times larger - their body length reaches 9 mm, width - 13 mm. Unlike most other representatives of its class, the predator has short legs.

The oval abdomen of the orb weaving spider is surrounded around the perimeter by 6 spines arranged in pairs . For its appearance, the insect received another nickname - “horned”.

The growths in females are longer and they are much more pronounced. Males may have fewer spines - only 4-5, and they are shorter in length. The “horns” of the orb weaver perform a protective function.

Painted red or black, they look menacing from afar, and when in direct contact with the hunter, they prevent the predator from swallowing the spider.

These arthropods are interesting for their colors. The oval abdomen can be red, yellow or even white. The color depends on the variety and habitat of the insect.

The lower part of the abdomen, head, and legs of females are most often black, although there are individuals with colored limbs. In males, the lower part of the body is gray with brown spots.

The upper part of the spider's abdomen is decorated with black dots. They are arranged in 4 rows and have a mirror arrangement relative to the center of the body.

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.

Behavior

It is interesting that only the female weaves the web; the males sit on the edge of the finished web. Orb-weavers are distinguished by their enviable industriousness - within a day the insect forms strong, dense traps with a diameter of up to 30 cm. Spiders weave their webs mainly at night and hunt in the daytime.

As a rule, arthropods of this species live alone, however, sometimes you can find several individuals living next to each other (usually a queen and 2-3 gentlemen).

It is interesting that in the “commune” food is divided equally between insects, regardless of whose web the midge flew into.

The arthropod weaves a network every day; it is usually located on tree branches, between foliage at a height of about 1–6 meters.

Males are located on the edge, on their own, separately hanging thread . By periodically tapping their paws, they notify the lady of their presence.

The web that the spiny spider creates is a practically perfect circle - which is why the orb weaver got its name. The trap hangs above the ground at a slight angle.

When creating it, the orb weaver first forms a basic base, which consists of one vertical line and several radial ones, and then attaches the outer radii in a spiral.

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.

Habitats

The horned spider is most often found in North and South America.

Its habitat covers the following countries:

1. Cuba.
2. Jamaica.
3. Salvador.
4. Honduras.
5. USA (southern part of the country, in particular Florida, California).
6. Bahamas.
7. Australia.
8. Mexico.
9. Philippines, etc.

Judging by the location of the territories, it can be understood that the orb weaving spider prefers tropical and subtropical climates. It lives in the area of ​​streams and swamps, inhabiting bushes and trees near the water.

Science knows about the existence of two subspecies of insects - Gc cancriformis and Gc gertschi.

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.

Nutrition

The orb weaving spider takes a passive position when hunting prey. The arthropod is located in the center of the freshly woven web, freezing in anticipation of prey.

A fly caught in a net begins to twitch, causing vibrations in the threads, which the hunter catches. The spider drags the caught insect to the center of the web and eats it there, sucking out the soft tissue and leaving a chitinous shell.

If several victims are caught in the net at once, the orb weaver paralyzes them with its poison and eats them later.

The predator's diet consists of moths, small flies, beetles and other small insects. Having settled on a plantation, such a spider eats the parasites living on it.

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.

Cerbal Arabian

This species of spider became known only at the beginning of this century. They were found in the territories of Jordan and Israel. The size of an individual with outstretched paws, according to various sources, can reach from 14 to 20 cm. In color, cerbals are usually yellow or beige with black spots on the legs. They are active at night and are absolutely safe for humans.

This is interesting: 6 main groups of animals, their brief characteristics and photos

9.Tegenaria brownie

This representative of large spiders lives in Europe and is also called the giant house spider. Lives in Central Asia, Africa, Uruguay and Argentina. The dimensions of its abdomen are 7.5 cm, together with extended legs it will be from 7 to 15 cm. The body color is pale gray, the front legs are brown.

Females wear a cocoon with eggs on themselves until the spiders hatch from it. Tegenaria moves faster than all spiders over a short distance. The species got its name because it likes to live in caves and abandoned buildings. It is quite difficult to meet Tegenaria; these spiders mainly live in hot Asia and Africa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv-CfxZfgGw

The dimensions of his abdomen are 7.5 cm, together with extended paws - it will be from 7 to 15 cm

. The body color is pale gray, the front legs are brown. Females wear a cocoon with eggs on themselves until the spiders hatch from it.

Moves faster than all spiders over short distances. The species got its name because it likes to live in caves and abandoned buildings. Meet

quite difficult, mainly, these spiders live in hot Asia and Africa.

Heteropoda maxima

This huge hunting spider ranks first in the world in terms of paw span - more than 30 cm. At the same time, the body of the spider does not exceed 5 cm in length.

These giants live on the Australian continent and in southeast Asia. For their homes they choose caves, peeled tree bark, and can hide under stones. The color of spiders is predominantly brown; the legs are decorated with black spots. Hunting spiders feed on insects, lizards, toads, and do not disdain their smaller relatives. The venom of the heteropod maxima is toxic; when bitten, a person may experience swelling, severe nausea and headache. But no deaths were recorded.