Wandering spider

Wandering spiders
Temporal range: Neogene–present
Phoneutria nigriventer
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Ctenidae
Keyserling, 1877
Diversity
49 genera, 533 species

Wandering spiders (Ctenidae) are a family of spiders that includes the Brazilian wandering spiders. These spiders have a distinctive longitudinal groove on the top-rear of their oval carapace similar to those of the Amaurobiidae.[1] They are highly defensive[2] and venomous nocturnal hunters. Wandering spiders are known to hunt large prey, for example hylid species Dendropsophus branneri.[3] Despite their notoriety for being dangerous, only a few members of Phoneutria have venom known to be hazardous to humans, but the venoms of this family are poorly known,[4] so all larger ctenids should be treated with caution.

  1. ^ McGavin, George C. (2002). Insects and Other Terrestrial Arthropods. New York: Dorling Kindersley Ltd. p. 230. ISBN 0-7894-9392-6.
  2. ^ Bücherl, Wolfgang; Buckley, Eleanor E. (2013). Venomous Animals and Their Venoms: Venomous Invertebrates. Elsevier. p. 237. ISBN 978-1-4832-6289-5.
  3. ^ de Araujo Lira, André Felipe (May 26, 2000). "Predation of Dendropsophus branneri (Cochran, 1948) (Anura: Hylidae) by wandering spider (Araneae: Ctenidae) in an Atlantic forest remnant". Herpetology Notes. 13: 421–424 – via Biotaxa.
  4. ^ Okamoto; et al. (2009). "Ctenus medius and Phoneutria nigriventer spiders venoms share noxious proinflammatory activities". J. Med. Entomol. 46 (1): 58–66. doi:10.1603/033.046.0108. PMID 19198518. S2CID 33154932.