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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 2021, 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.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Banana spider
The banana spider belongs to the arthropod arachnids, classified in the order Spiders, family Nephilidae, genus Nephila.
Spiders are unique representatives of flora and fauna. Only they tend to weave webs and have 8 legs. These features prompted ancient scientists to believe that these creatures did not originate on Earth, but came here from a completely different planet. However, the subsequently found remains of the ancient ancestors of modern spiders made it possible to refute this theory.
Modern scientists still cannot determine the exact period of appearance of spiders on earth. This is due to the fact that the chitinous shell of arachnids is destroyed quite quickly. The exception is the few remains of the ancient ancestors of modern arachnids, which have survived to this day thanks to amber or pieces of frozen resin.
Video: Banana Spider
According to a few finds, scientists were able to name the approximate period of the appearance of arachnids - it is approximately 200-250 million years ago. The very first spiders looked very different from modern representatives of this species. They had very small body sizes and a tail section, which was designed for weaving webs. The process of formation of sticky threads was most likely involuntary. The threads were not used to weave webs, but to line their burrows and preserve cocoons.
Scientists call Gondwana the birthplace of arachnids. With the advent of Pangea, the arachnids that existed at that time quickly spread across various regions of the earth. The subsequent ice ages significantly narrowed the habitat regions of arachnids on earth.
For the first time, the features of the life activity and appearance of the banana spider were described by the German researcher Maximilian Perti in 1833. He gave him a name, which, translated from Greek, was interpreted as “killer.”
Appearance and features
Photo: Banana spider in America
The appearance of banana spiders does not have any specific features or distinctive features. It can easily be confused with any other spider. This type of spider has quite pronounced sexual dimorphism - females are almost twice as large as males in size and body weight.
Distinctive features of the appearance of wandering soldiers:
- body dimensions – 1.5-4.5 centimeters;
- long limbs, the size of which in some individuals reaches up to 15 centimeters. The chelicerae in most individuals are brown or dark red. This scares off other predators who want to hunt spiders. The other limbs have transverse rings that are darker in color;
- the body is represented by two sections: the convex abdomen and the cephalothorax;
- the body is covered with thick, stiff hairs;
- the color is dark gray, close to black. Some individuals have a dark red or burgundy color;
- The color of an arthropod depends on the region and living conditions, since the color of the body serves as a camouflage function;
- a dark stripe runs along the body.
Long limbs are a distinctive feature of the banana spider. They are used not only as a means of transportation, but also as organs of touch and smell. They contain many hypersensitive receptors. There are 8 pairs of visual organs on the head. Thanks to so many organs of vision, they are provided with a 360-degree view. They can clearly distinguish not only clear pictures, but also shadows and individual silhouettes. Banana spiders have an excellent, instant reaction to movement.
Interesting fact: A distinctive feature of a wandering soldier is considered to be a pose that is characteristic only of him. When attacked, he stands on his hind legs, lifts up and straightens his front legs. In this position, he is ready for a lightning attack and injection of highly toxic poison.
Description and behavior of the Banana Spider
The banana spider has a body length from 17 to 45 millimeters. Its limbs are between 13 and 15 centimeters long. The Brazilian wandering spider can be quite easily confused with some other spider genera, such as the genus Ctenus. It can be distinguished by the presence of dense hair on the pedipalps. Although this difference cannot be considered very significant, it should still be indicated as a distinctive feature. Another way to identify a banana spider can be a black line running along the entire length of the arthropod’s body from the head. But this feature is not the most important difference from other spiders. The most important indicator of the Banana Spider can be considered its behavior, because when a threat arises, it takes a special defensive pose. The defensive posture of the Brazilian wandering spider consists of highly raised forelimbs, and it is this defensive reaction that allows this species to be identified.
Read: Japanese Spider Crab as a Pacific inhabitant.
Where does the banana spider live?
Photo: Banana spider in bananas
The largest number of banana spiders is concentrated in South America. However, the banana spider can also be found in other regions.
Geographical regions of the wandering soldier's habitat:
- Costa Rica;
- Argentina;
- Colombia;
- Venezuela;
- Ecuador;
- Bolivia;
- Australia;
- Madagascar;
- Brazil;
- Paraguay;
- Panama.
The exception is the northeastern region of the South American region. Often found as a habitat in equatorial rainforests. The leaves of various plants, stuck together, provide a cozy and safe refuge for arachnids. This is how insects get onto banana trees, and along with the leaves, onto fruit bunches. A sign of their presence is considered to be white mold or cobwebs, as well as dark tubercles under the skin of the fruit.
Interesting fact: In the body of banana spiders, unlike other types of spiders, there are not one, but seven such glands. Each of them performs its own function. There is a gland responsible for protecting cocoons, or fixing the victim, as well as glands designed to form a strong web.
In Russia, spiders are practically not found in natural conditions. They are often kept as pets. It is unusual for spiders to occupy burrows; they lead a nomadic lifestyle and can hide under stones and snags. In the process of moving, spiders often climb into human homes. Traveling soldiers do not tolerate extreme heat well, trying to hide in secluded corners, which poses a great danger to the people living in the house.
Now you know where the banana spider lives. Let's see what he eats.
What happens if a banana poisonous spider bites you?
Brazilian wandering spiders bite very painfully, but this is not the worst thing. The consequences of a bite are dangerous. For an adult this is:
- Allergic skin reaction
- Convulsions
- Paralysis.
If an insect bites a child or a person with a heart condition, diabetes or allergies, then it can end in death. In any case, if a person knows that he has been bitten by a banana spider, then he should immediately call a doctor. It is better not to do anything yourself, since the consequences of a bite can only be removed with medication.
There are currently no known cases of fatal Brazilian spider bites. From time to time, stories appear in the news about how people from the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, and France find these insects in bananas. However, everything always ends only in fear, which, of course, is good. But still, it is worth remembering that when buying bananas, the first thing you need to do in the store is to carefully inspect the bunch in order to save yourself from the danger and simple troubles associated with calling the epidemiological station.
What does a banana spider eat?
Photo: Banana spider
Wandering soldiers are rightfully considered omnivorous insects. They feed on everything they can catch in their fishing nets. They also do not disdain food of plant origin - bananas, or the fruits of other fruit trees.
What serves as food supply:
- beetles;
- midges;
- locusts;
- caterpillars;
- insects;
- other, smaller arachnids;
- lizards;
- various types of amphibians;
- various types of small birds;
- snakes;
- rodents.
Spiders use a variety of means to obtain a food source. They can weave incredibly strong trapping nets, with the help of which they provide themselves with food.
Interesting fact: In some cases, the size of the poutine can reach 2 meters! It is incredibly durable, as it is capable of holding a bird, small lizard or snake caught in it.
Spiders can also hunt prey of their choice. They choose a potential victim, overtake it in the blink of an eye, stand on their hind legs and attack, spraying deadly poison. Under the influence of the poison, the victim is paralyzed and its insides are digested and melted. After some time, the spiders simply drink the internal contents of their prey.
The venom of banana spiders is considered very highly toxic. To kill an average-sized mouse, they only need 6 micrograms of poisonous secretion. However, having caught the next victim in her strong web, the female spider is in no hurry to kill her. The prey is paralyzed by injecting poison and wrapped in a cocoon of spider webs. After this, it is suspended while still alive. This way the loot can be stored for some time.
Nutrition
The wandering spider loves small insects, lizards, weakened and sick birds. The diet of arthropods is quite diverse and can include frogs, caterpillars, snails, spiders of other species, and even their own relatives. But most of all he likes meat. The poison is able to digest the contents into a broth that the animal feasts on.
Because of its affinity for bananas, the wandering spider is often called the banana spider. It can enter boxes of fruit and thus travel to another country or continent.
The Brazilian spider is a good runner. He jumps and runs great. In search of food, it constantly moves from one place to another. That is why he does not build holes. Seeing the victim from a hiding spot, the wanderer spider raises its front legs and extends the middle pair forward and to the side. When attacked, it immediately sinks its teeth and injects poison. This helps to neutralize the victim in a matter of seconds.
In the wild, the spider places its web like a trapping net to catch prey. They can reach 2 meters in diameter. The strength of the structure is enough to catch lizards, small birds, small rodents, and snakes. This web is sometimes used by fishermen. Folded in several layers, it is suitable for catching small fish.
In the house, Brazilian wandering spiders do not spin webs, so they will not be detected by this sign.
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: Banana spider in nature
Spiders spend most of their time on the web they weave. It can be located in residential buildings or non-residential premises. They prefer to hunt in the dark. It is during this period that their web casts silver reflections that attract potential victims. Banana spiders are unique web-weavers. Special glands in their body synthesize a specific liquid, which, when muscle fibers contract, turns into a web.
Weaving webs is done exclusively by females. Males exist only to procreate. Males feed on the remains of the female's prey. Banana spiders differ from their relatives in their speed of movement and lightning-fast reaction. Spiders are not afraid to attack even those representatives of the local flora and fauna that surpass them in size, strength and power. Most often, in a seemingly unequal fight, spiders manage to win, as they instantly inject their highly toxic poison. Science knows of cases where spiders managed to defeat an adult rat.
Spiders do not tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle. They constantly wander, for which they received their second name. They often have to travel long distances. Spiders have the ability not only to run very fast, but also to jump quite high. The greatest activity is observed at night. During the day, spiders hide in the foliage, on the branches of bushes and trees near the web they weave. The hairs, or bristles, which are located on the limbs, allow them to respond to the slightest vibrations and movements of the spider threads.
The Brazilian wandering spider is the most dangerous spider in the world
Let's talk about the Brazilian spider. It is one of the top most dangerous insects on the planet. The word wandering is added to its name and for good reason. This spider, unlike the others, does not weave a web, but is on a constant journey, that is, it wanders.
You can only meet him in America, where he lives not only in the tropics, but can often be a resident of houses and outbuildings. Why is it special and what threat does it pose to humans?
Features of the view
The assassin spider (phoneutria) is a very fast and aggressive representative of its genus.
The Brazilian has two types: jumping and running, but they are all equally poisonous. What does he look like?
Spider appearance
An individual of this type of spider is very large, sometimes its dimensions reach 10 cm in length. The size of the head and chest are small, in contrast to its belly, which is very thick, since the spider feeds a lot.
The legs are very massive, covered with hair, which makes it look most menacing. Color changes depending on the habitat. Sometimes it can be dark brown, sometimes with the addition of green specks, or brown with reddish hues.
Another feature by which you can easily determine that this particular spider is in front of you is its method of protection, which also determines its type. When threatened by the environment, he takes a very interesting position, stands on his hind legs and raises his front legs up. During such a ritual, he swings from side to side, his chelicerae (jaw apparatus) become crimson-red.
Reproduction and life cycle
It is often found in nature that female insects are larger than the male, and this is also the case with spiders. After mating, the female can eat the male, but some species live in families, in one nest, and since the Brazilian constantly wanders, it sometimes happens that the male spider ends up being the victim.
In adult representatives, the mating dance looks very interesting. The male offers the caught food to the female, who cannot resist and freezes. At this time, mating occurs.
See the topic - How and why a spider weaves its web
After a few weeks, the female lays eggs in a cocoon and guards it until young nymphs emerge, who then independently disperse throughout the tropics and wander in search of food in order to grow to large sizes.
Diet
During constant movement, the spider looks for prey, which can be insects, small spiders, and even attacks tropical frogs, birds and lizards.
The arthropod received its name “banana” for its special passion for fruits. Because of this, the spider can often be found in boxes of bananas prepared for export. Thus, it can be imported into another country.
But the basis of the diet is still meat. Once inside, the poison turns the insides into a broth, which is subsequently sucked out by the insect.
Lifestyle
The soldier spider, so called for the way it raises its front legs up, is a nocturnal resident, that is, during the daytime it hides in a cool place. Such a place could be a snag or a stone (on the ground). Having seen its prey, the spider makes itself known with lightning speed. At night the insect wanders.
When attacking small animals, it sinks its jaws and injects poison into the body, which paralyzes the animal in a couple of seconds. If an insect manages to enter the house, it immediately hides.
Its storage can be shoes, clothes, hats. And therefore, people may suffer due to their illiteracy, that is, not checking items of clothing before putting them on.
Habitat
Its habitat is the tropics and subtropics of South America. They prefer a terrestrial location, but often climb tree trunks and hide in thick, damp foliage.
In Russia, such a representative of wildlife has not been recorded, but you still should not be careful. There is a replacement for him, which is not inferior in danger - this is a black widow.
Black Widow
Danger to humans
The poison of the Brazilian representative of arthropods poses a mortal danger to humans.
It contains a neurotoxin that, when released into the human bloodstream, causes the following symptoms:
- dizziness;
- increased blood pressure;
- increased body temperature and fever;
- attacks of suffocation followed by respiratory arrest;
- numbness of the limbs;
- complete atrophy of muscle mass.
The poison is most dangerous for males, the reasons for this are unclear. They experience a painful erection that lasts for a long time.
If you manage to meet a banana spider, then having bitten once, it does not try to escape, but strives to do it again. Once in the child's blood, the neurotoxin causes a severe allergic reaction, in which in some cases the child cannot be saved, even without being taken to the nearest emergency room.
And since South American countries are not very rich in experienced medical workers, and some settlements do not see them at all, an antidote that is not administered on time takes a person’s life.
Important! The insect does not attack the victim on its own. This happens in the case of self-defense. For example, if you put on a shoe that has a spider in it and thereby crush it, then it is not surprising that it will bite you. Therefore, caution is needed here.
An interesting fact from a traveling American who describes the symptoms of a spider bite. The incident occurred in 1998. While sorting bananas into boxes, he was accidentally bitten by a soldier spider. It looked like this: as if a long, sharp dagger had been stuck into my hand.
My hand immediately swelled and my head began to spin. His heartbeat increased to such an extent that he felt like it would burst out. My breathing stopped and spasms appeared. The doctors were in the right place and on time, they injected him with an antidote, which caused the American to get back on his feet the very next day.
Time from bite to death
This concept is very vague, since it is impossible to define this period of time with the same name, it all depends on the resistance of the human body and the immune system.
Video: Spider Danger
If you believe the stories of travelers, this time can be 30 minutes if the bite occurs on a small child. And a little longer if an adult was bitten. Not every time there is a doctor nearby with an antidote, so an encounter with a spider can end tragically.
Lethal dose of poison
It is believed that one bite and an injected portion of a toxic substance is enough to cause death. During a bite, a person may not feel the injection of poison, but after a second the skin begins to burn, the poison enters the lymph and blood. In 80% of cases, you are guaranteed to go into cardiac arrest.
If you determine the amount of poison that is needed to kill your victim, then it is as follows: for a small rodent, 6 mcg directly into the blood is enough and a little more, about 130 mcg under the skin. You can calculate the dose for humans, given that the average weight of a rodent is about 50 grams.
Antidote
Today, medical scientists have nevertheless developed an antidote against the venom of the Brazilian wandering insect.
Obtaining it is a very difficult process, but still it helps many. Due to the presence of antivenom, mortality from bites is reduced. According to statistics, it is 3%.
Conclusion
To summarize the whole story, we note that the spider causes danger if it itself senses danger from the environment, but it itself will not attack first. This must be remembered whenever you encounter an arthropod, be it a Brazilian spider or another poisonous spider.
But there are real extreme sports enthusiasts in exotic breeding. And the Brazilian spider is their favorite pet, which is kept in glass terrariums.
Video: Brazilian Wandering Spider
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Banana spider
Males are much smaller than females in size and weight. Before mating, they tend to attract the attention of a potential partner with a peculiar dance and tap dancing with their limbs. After the mating process is completed, the egg laying period begins. The female wraps the laid eggs in a cocoon of cobwebs and hangs them with strong threads. Females zealously guard their cocoons until the spiderlings hatch from them. After 20-25 days from the moment they are placed in the cocoon, small spiders appear from the eggs.
The size of one cocoon is several centimeters. There may be several such cocoons. In total, one female can lay from one and a half to two hundred to several thousand eggs. The mating season of banana spiders most often begins in early April and lasts until the end of spring. After the mating process is completed, each male quickly runs away, since females often simply eat their partners after the completion of the mating season.
Spiders reach sexual maturity at the age of three. During the first 12 months of life, they can withstand up to a dozen molts. With age, the number of moults decreases, and the toxicity of the poison increases. The growth of spiders occurs during the molting period. The average lifespan of one spider in natural conditions is 3-5 years.
Natural enemies of banana spiders
Photo: Banana spider in bananas
Despite the fact that banana spiders are considered one of the most dangerous and poisonous creatures on earth, they also have enemies.
Natural enemies of the spider:
- tarantula hawk wasp. is the largest wasp among all existing in the world. She does not tend to show aggression. It does not attack other insects, only spiders. Female wasps sting insects, paralyzing them with their toxic venom. After this, they lay eggs in the body of the arthropod and drag it to their lair. The death of the spider occurs after its entrails are eaten by the wasp larva hatched from the egg;
- some species of birds;
- some species of amphibians and reptiles that are found in the jungle;
- rodents.
Spiders most often die defending themselves from those who pose a potential threat to them. Spiders do not tend to flee when danger appears; more often they take a defensive position and defend themselves. Spiders are considered extremely aggressive and very dangerous. The only danger is from female wandering soldiers. Males are not capable of harming anyone, much less killing anyone.
Banana spiders - who they are and why they are dangerous
The banana spider is a long-lived myth; there is no such species of spider in nature; spiders do not live and do not feed on bananas.
Today, this term refers to all spiders that are accidentally found on bananas. Most of these spiders are not dangerous to humans, although they can look quite threatening.
The largest banana exporters in the world are the following countries:
India, Philippines, China, Ecuador, Brazil, Indonesia, Tanzania, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Vietnam, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Egypt.
Poisonous spiders live in all these countries, and they can easily fly in a box of bananas, but species of spiders dangerous to humans live in Australia and North America.
Of all the banana exporting countries, only the Brazilian wandering spider, which lives in Brazil, poses a mortal danger.
The spider has the Latin name Phoneutria and is often called the Brazilian wandering spider. It lives only in Brazil, and can only be found on bananas exported from this country.
On bananas imported from other countries, spiders belong to other species.
The Brazilian wandering spider does not live in bananas, but gets into them already at the stage of preparing bananas for export. Bunches of bananas are usually packed in boxes with holes for ventilation, and they provide an excellent hiding place for the spider to crawl into and hunt.
At the same time, for example, it is almost impossible to find a spider in a package of mangoes, since the mangoes are sorted and selected manually, and packed quite tightly and hermetically, which is why there are no places where the spider can hide.
Bananas are delivered to different countries in green form, and upon arrival they are additionally processed and ripen for some time, it is practically impossible to find a live spider in bananas, so they do not pose a danger.
Bananas are supplied to Russia from Ecuador; in 2021, the share of banana exports to the Russian Federation from this country amounted to 97%. You can watch a video of how bananas are collected and processed in Ecuador below:
There are two species of dangerous poisonous spiders living in Ecuador: the above-described Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) and the tarantula.
Both species can easily fly to Russia in a box of bananas and can be found there.
Brazilian wandering spider
Female Brazilian wandering spiders have a height of 30 to 50 mm, males are less than 40 mm. The color is dark brown.
The poison can kill a healthy adult in a matter of hours. In the countries where they live there is serum, in the Russian Federation there is none. Like most spiders, this spider most often bites dry, since it needs poison to digest and kill food and is produced over a long period of time.
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Tarantula Pamphobeteus-platyomma
A tarantula bite is not fatal, but it is painful and unpleasant, and is only dangerous if you have an allergy.
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Oleg Kozlovsky
Copywriter, illustrator and freelance photographer, engaged in tourism, fishing and hunting, traveling around the world and Russia, fishing and hunting.
