# Brazilian Wandering Spider (*Phoneutria*)

The Brazilian Wandering Spider is a fascinating arachnid known for its venomous bite and its warning pose. It roams the forest floor at night in search of prey, hunting on foot instead of in a web.

- **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 5/5 · Extreme
- **Habitat:** Rainforest
- **Also known as:** Armed Spider, Banana Spider

![Brazilian Wandering Spider](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425948/objects/5937.jpg)

## Appearance

The Brazilian Wandering Spider is typically large and hairy, with a body ranging from brown to grey. Many species have bright red hairs on their jaws, which they show off when threatened.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Arachnida
- **Order:** Araneae
- **Family:** Ctenidae
- **Genus:** Phoneutria

## Brazilian wandering spider, up close

Brazilian wandering spiders are the 9 species of the genus Phoneutria, large night-hunting spiders found from Central America to northern Argentina. This card focuses on the best-studied species, Phoneutria nigriventer of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. They hunt on foot instead of using webs, warn enemies with a raised-leg threat display and have medically important venom, although most bites are mild and Brazil has an antivenom.

Also called: Aranha-armadeira, Phoneutria.

A night hunter that needs no web, with eight eyes, vibration-sensing legs and a famous warning dance. Spin it, tap it, then test yourself.

### Special abilities

- **Warning Dance** (4 legs raised high to warn): Threatened, it rears up on its back legs, lifts its 4 front legs high and sways, flashing banded legs and red jaw hairs. [5][2][13][16]
  - The pose makes the spider look bigger, and it shifts towards whatever is bothering it.
  - This display is so typical that scientists use it as one of the features that define the genus.
  - Phoneutria tend to hold their ground rather than run. Brazil’s health ministry says one can lunge up to about 40 cm, so back away slowly.
  - The display is a warning for predators: the spider is defending itself, not hunting you.
- **Night Wanderer** (0 webs used to catch prey): It doesn’t catch food in a web. After dark it walks the forest floor and low plants, hunting on foot. [5][11][17][15]
  - By day it hides; at night it actively searches the ground and low vegetation for prey.
  - Its silk is for egg sacs and for wrapping food, not for traps.
  - In one Amazon study, 53% fewer wandering spiders came out to hunt on nights after daytime rain. Scientists think the damp may mask the smell of prey.
  - Young wandering spiders often hunt on plants, where they may avoid bigger spiders on the ground.
- **Vibration Sense** (1,000s of strain sensors in a spider’s skin; still debated): Hairs and tiny slits on its legs pick up air movements and ground vibrations, so it can notice prey and danger in the dark. [9][12][18][19][5]
  - Slender hairs called trichobothria swing with the faintest air currents, from any direction.
  - Thousands of slit-shaped sensors in a spider’s hard skin work like strain gauges and can tell a prey animal’s vibrations from wind.
  - Most of this science comes from Cupiennius, a look-alike hunting spider: it feels the air from a flying fly about 3.8 cm away.
  - Scientists suggest young Phoneutria may sit on large leaves partly to feel approaching predators. How much Phoneutria relies on vibrations hasn’t been measured.
- **Eight Eyes** (2–4–2 eyes per row): Eight eyes sit in three rows, 2, then 4, then 2: the family pattern of wandering spiders. [1][2][3]
  - Phoneutria was first told apart from other spiders by its curved middle row of eyes.
  - In many spiders, some of the eyes have a mirror-like layer (the tapetum) behind them that helps in dim light.
  - Most spiders see little more than light, dark and movement, and lean on touch, vibration and taste instead.
- **Venom Lab** (40+ nerve toxins described): Its venom is a cocktail of small proteins that act on nerves. Scientists are testing some of them as starting points for new medicines. [20][10][21][22][23][24]
  - More than 40 nerve-acting toxins have been described in P. nigriventer venom, and a study of its venom genes and proteins found 98 toxin sequences, many of them new.
  - In lab animals, single toxins eased pain (Phα1β and Tx3-3), and an eye drop based on part of a toxin lowered the eye pressure linked to glaucoma.
  - The venom causes strong pain, yet some of its toxins block pain: researchers call it a double-edged sword.
  - None of these is an approved medicine yet. They are still being tested in animals.
- **Big Reach** (18 cm leg span): Its body is 1.7–4.8 cm long, and with legs stretched out a big one can span up to 18 cm. [2][13][10][4]
  - Brazil’s health ministry gives armed spiders a body of up to 4 cm and a leg span of 15 cm.
  - Scientists call P. nigriventer one of the largest “true spiders”.
  - It isn’t the world’s biggest spider: the Goliath birdeater tarantula reaches a 28 cm leg span.
  - How wide, legs and all: Brazilian wandering spider up to 18 cm; Goliath birdeater tarantula up to 28 cm; Recluse spider (Brazil) up to 3 cm
- **Wide Menu** (96 kinds of prey found by DNA): It eats almost anything it can overpower: mostly insects and spiders, plus the odd small lizard or frog. [25][26][5][27][28]
  - DNA from the guts of Colombian wandering spiders (studied as P. boliviensis) revealed 234 prey items from 96 kinds of animals, mostly flies, moths, beetles and crickets.
  - Field records include geckos and tree frogs, and P. nigriventer has been seen eating frogs in Brazil.
  - In lab tests on a Colombian species, the venom worked much faster on geckos than on spiders.
  - High-speed video of three wandering spider species shows them flipping spider prey over to bite its underside, so it can’t fight back.

### Body parts

- **Eyes** (8 eyes in 3 rows) [1][2][3][4]
  - Eight eyes sit in three rows, 2, then 4, then 2: the typical pattern of the wandering spider family, Ctenidae.
  - When Phoneutria was first described, in 1833, it was picked out by its curved middle row of eyes.
  - Like most spiders, it relies more on touch and vibration than on sharp eyesight.
- **Jaws** (10.4 mm venom gland length) [5][6][4]
  - The jaws (chelicerae) of many Phoneutria species are covered in bright red hairs, which it shows off when threatened.
  - Venom is made in glands inside the jaws and flows out through the fangs.
  - Its venom glands, up to 10.4 mm long, are the largest known in any spider.
  - Spiders can’t chew: they pour digestive juices onto their prey and suck up the liquid.
- **Front legs** (4 legs raised to warn) [5][7]
  - In many species the undersides of the two front pairs of legs have black bands with yellow or white ones between.
  - The bands stay hidden until the spider rears up in its threat display.
  - Colour is not a reliable way to tell the 9 Phoneutria species apart: experts use identification keys based on other body features.
- **Palps** [8][9][2]
  - The palps are the short, leg-like feelers beside the jaws. Spiders use them to handle food, touch and taste.
  - Thick brushes of hair on the palps are one of the features that set Phoneutria apart from related spiders.
  - In adult males the palp tips are modified as mating organs.
- **Cephalothorax** (1.7–4.8 cm body length) [8][2][10]
  - The front half of the body carries the eyes, jaws, palps and all 8 legs, under a hard shield called the carapace.
  - Phoneutria are medium to large spiders: 1.7–4.8 cm long, not counting the legs.
  - Scientists call P. nigriventer one of the largest “true spiders” alive.
- **Abdomen** [8][5]
  - The back half holds the silk glands, the heart and much of the gut.
  - It is brown or grey, and some species have two rows of pale spots on top.
  - The pattern varies even within one species, so it can’t be used to identify them.
- **Spinnerets** (Up to 4 silk egg sacs) [5][11]
  - It doesn’t build a web to catch prey, but it still makes silk.
  - A female wraps her eggs in up to 4 silk egg sacs.
  - In Colombia, a close relative was seen wrapping prey in silk and fixing it to a perch with quick dabs of its front spinnerets.
  - Newly hatched spiderlings spin a small, messy web and stay in it until their next moult.
- **Legs** (18 cm leg span) [2][9][12][5][4]
  - With its legs stretched out, a Phoneutria can measure up to 18 cm across.
  - Fine hairs (trichobothria) feel tiny air movements, and slit-shaped sensors in the leg skeleton feel vibrations.
  - In the threat display it stands on its back two pairs of legs.
  - Like other spiders, it can drop a leg to escape a predator, and young spiders grow it back at their next moult.
- **Hiding place** [5][13][2][14][15]
  - By day it hides in plants, tree crevices or even termite mounds, then comes out to hunt at night.
  - In Brazil it shelters under logs and in palms, bromeliads and banana leaves, and sometimes in shoes, behind furniture or in piles of building materials.
  - Most species outside the Amazon live in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest; in the Amazon they live in forests and plantations too.
  - Young Amazon wandering spiders climb onto plants, and one species often sits on small palms.

### Stats

| Stat | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Body | 1.7–4.8 cm | body length across Phoneutria species [2] |
| Leg span | up to 18 cm | with legs stretched out; The Goliath birdeater tarantula reaches 28 cm [2][4] |
| Species | 9 | in the genus Phoneutria [7] |
| Eyes | 8 | in rows of 2, 4 and 2 [1] |
| Eggs | 3,000+ | from one P. nigriventer female, in up to 4 egg sacs [5] |
| Lifespan | up to 6 yrs | in captivity; adult at about 3 years [5] |
| Toxins | 40+ | nerve-acting toxins described in its venom [20] |
| Venom gland | 10.4 mm | long: the largest known in any spider [6] |
| Mild bites | ≈90% | of 422 bite patients in a Brazilian hospital study; Severe: 0.5% [33] |
| Antivenom | 2.3% | of those patients needed it; most needed only pain relief [33] |

### Photos

- [Phoneutria nigriventer in São Paulo state, Brazil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aranha_armadeira(Phoneutria_nigriventer)_por_Rodrigo_Tetsuo_Argenton_(2).jpg) (photo: Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [The threat display: front legs up, bands and red jaw hairs on show](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phoneutria_female_threat_display.jpeg) (photo: deboas, CC BY 4.0)
- [Seen from above: a 1.7–4.8 cm body and long legs](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aranha_armadeira(Phoneutria_nigriventer)_por_Rodrigo_Tetsuo_Argenton_(4).jpg) (photo: Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [An adult male, with long legs](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phoneutria_boliviensis_male.jpeg) (photo: charlisaurio, CC BY 4.0)
- [A young wandering spider on a leaf](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phoneutria_boliviensis_young.jpeg) (photo: michaelbakkerpaiva, CC BY 4.0)
- [Phoneutria keyserlingi, a close relative, in southern Brazil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phoneutria_keyserlingi_-_Alessandher_Piva_-_529705126.jpeg) (photo: Alessandher Piva, CC BY 4.0)
- [Phoneutria fera out at night in French Guiana](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wandering_Spider_(Phoneutria_fera)_(10623228224).jpg) (photo: Bernard Dupont, CC BY-SA 2.0)
- [Camouflaged in leaf litter, Brazil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phoneutria_sp._(Foto_por_Thiago_Antunes).jpg) (photo: Thiago Gonçalves Coronado Antunes, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [A Phoneutria in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Banana_spider_(Phoneutria_sp.)_Rio_Napo.jpg) (photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [Phoneutria nigriventer on the move](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aranha_armadeira(Phoneutria_nigriventer)_por_Rodrigo_Tetsuo_Argenton_(1).jpg) (photo: Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton, CC BY-SA 4.0)

### Questions

- **Is the Brazilian wandering spider dangerous?** Its venom is medically important, but bites are uncommon and most are mild. In one Brazilian study of 422 patients, about 90% had only pain and swelling around the bite and 0.5% had severe symptoms, all young children. Across the Amazon, too, spider bites are painful but rarely life-threatening. Anyone who is bitten should see a doctor. [33][49][50]
- **What should you do if a Brazilian wandering spider bites someone?** Wash the bite, tell an adult and go to the nearest doctor or hospital. Warm compresses can ease the pain. Don’t use home remedies, and only take a photo of the spider if it is safe. [16]
- **Is there an antivenom for Brazilian wandering spider bites?** Yes. Brazil’s anti-arachnid antivenom, made at the Instituto Butantan, covers Phoneutria. It is free in public hospitals and used only for moderate or severe cases, about 2–3% of patients. [40][41][16][33][5]
- **Do Brazilian wandering spiders hide in bananas?** In banana plantations they sometimes shelter in bunches of bananas, and a few have travelled abroad in fruit, for example to Germany and the UK. But this is rare: most big spiders found in imported bananas are harmless look-alikes, and the name “banana spider” is used for several unrelated spiders too. [5][51][35][34][52]
- **Is the Brazilian wandering spider the most venomous spider in the world?** Guinness World Records shares its “most venomous spiders” title between Phoneutria and Australian funnel-web spiders, based on lab tests in mice. Experts often rate funnel-webs as the most dangerous to people. [37][6]
- **Where do Brazilian wandering spiders live?** The 9 Phoneutria species live from Guatemala in Central America to northern Argentina. P. nigriventer lives mainly in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest but also in plantations, gardens and towns. [7][47][46][2][5]
- **How big is a Brazilian wandering spider?** Its body is 1.7–4.8 cm long, and with its legs stretched out it can measure up to 18 cm across. [2]
- **What does the name Phoneutria mean?** It comes from an ancient Greek word for “murderess”. In Brazil the spider is called aranha-armadeira, the “armed spider”. Despite the dramatic names, most bites are mild. [53][2][33]

### Brazilian wandering spider myths and facts

Tap Myth or Fact for each claim, then check the answer.

- "Bananas from the shop often carry Brazilian wandering spiders." **Myth!** Real ones are rare. Most big spiders found in imported bananas are harmless look-alikes such as Cupiennius or huntsman spiders: one count found only 7 confirmed Phoneutria arrivals in North America over 80 years, against 39 Cupiennius. If you find a big spider in fruit, don’t touch it: tell an adult. [34][5][35]
- "It is the deadliest spider in the world." **Myth!** Its venom is among the strongest in lab tests, but most bites are mild and deaths are very rare. Experts often name Australian funnel-web spiders as the most dangerous to people. [25][33][36][5][6]
- "Guinness World Records lists it among the most venomous spiders." **Fact!** Guinness shares its “most venomous spiders” title between Phoneutria and Australian funnel-web spiders. It is based on lab tests in mice, which don’t show how often a spider harms people. [37]
- "Brazilian wandering spiders chase people." **Myth!** They don’t hunt people. A frightened one rears up and may lunge a short way, up to about 40 cm according to Brazil’s health ministry. Back away slowly and leave it alone. [13][5][16]
- "It catches its food in a web." **Myth!** Adults hunt on foot at night. They use silk for egg sacs and wrapping food, and tiny spiderlings spin a small web for their first days. [5][11]
- "Its venom is being studied to make new medicines." **Fact!** Single toxins have eased pain and lowered eye pressure in lab animals. None is an approved medicine yet. [21][22][23]
- "Every bite needs antivenom." **Myth!** In one hospital study only 2.3% of patients needed antivenom; most were treated for pain and sent home within a few hours. But every bite should be checked by a doctor, especially in children. [33][38]
- "Spiders are insects." **Myth!** Spiders are arachnids, like scorpions and ticks. They have 8 legs and a body in two parts. [16][4][8]

### Staying safe around Brazilian wandering spiders

Bites are uncommon and most are mild, but every bite should be seen by a doctor. These numbers show where and how to be careful.

- **≈90%** of bites were mild. In a study of 422 patients in Brazil, about 9 in 10 had only pain and some swelling around the bite. Severe cases were 0.5%, in young children. [33][39]
- **2.3%** needed antivenom. Brazil’s anti-arachnid antivenom, made at the Instituto Butantan, covers Phoneutria. It is free in public hospitals and used only for moderate or severe cases. [33][40][16][41]
- **54.5%** of bites happened at home. Most were on the feet (41%) or hands (34%). Shake out shoes, clothes and gloves, wear gloves for garden work and never put hands into holes or under logs. [33][32]
- **Jan–May** busiest months in Brazil. Males wander looking for mates at this time of year. Keep beds away from walls and close gaps under doors at dusk. [42][5][32]
- **3 steps** if someone is bitten. Wash the bite, tell an adult and go to a doctor or hospital. A clear photo of the spider helps, but never try to catch it. Skip home remedies. [16]

General information, not medical advice. In an emergency in Brazil, call SAMU on 192.

### Brazilian wandering spider records

Superlatives and record holders, each checked against its source.

- Largest venom glands of any spider: Phoneutria wandering spiders, up to 10.4 × 2.7 mm (Guinness World Records, cited in a 2017 review of spider records) [6]
- Guinness “most venomous spiders”: Phoneutria and Australian funnel-webs, Shared title (based on venom strength in lab mice) [37]
- One of the largest true spiders: Phoneutria nigriventer, up to 18 cm (leg span in the genus; bodies up to 4.8 cm) [10][2]
- Smallest Phoneutria: Phoneutria boliviensis, ≈2 cm (measured adults were about 20–21 mm long) [30]
- Smallest range of any Phoneutria: Phoneutria bahiensis, 2 states (known only from Bahia and Espírito Santo, Brazil; on Brazil’s list of threatened species) [5][43]

### Life of a Brazilian wandering spider

A year in the life of P. nigriventer, with gaps filled from a close relative where noted.

- **March–May**: Males go wandering. Adult males roam widely looking for females. This is when most bites happen in Brazil. [5][33]
- **April–May**: Mating. Mating happens mostly in April and May. In a close relative, the male simply climbs onto the female instead of courting from a distance. [5][11]
- **After mating**: Egg sacs. A female makes up to 4 silk egg sacs, with more than 3,000 eggs in total, and keeps them with her. [5]
- **≈1 month**: Hatching. In a close relative, 430–1,300 spiderlings came out of each sac 28–34 days after it was made. [11][30]
- **First weeks**: A first web. Spiderlings of the close relative spin a small, messy web and stay in it until their next moult. Young P. nigriventer can catch prey as soon as they leave the sac. [11][5]
- **Years 1–2**: Moult after moult. It sheds its skin 5–10 times in its first year and 3–7 times in its second. Its venom gets stronger as it grows. [5][31]
- **≈3 years**: Grown up. After 2–3 more moults in its third year, P. nigriventer becomes adult. The Colombian relative grew up faster, in 300–465 days. [5][11]
- **Up to 6 years**: A long life. In captivity P. nigriventer can live up to 6 years. [5]

### Brazilian wandering spider vs look-alikes

Big brown spiders from Latin America are easy to mix up. Here is how the wandering spider compares with a harmless banana-box look-alike and another medically important spider.

| | Brazilian wandering spider | Cupiennius “banana spider” | Chilean recluse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name [7][44][45] | Phoneutria (9 species) | Cupiennius (11 species) | Loxosceles laeta |
| Family [7][44][45] | Ctenidae (wandering spiders) | Trechaleidae (moved from Ctenidae in 2019) | Sicariidae (recluse spiders) |
| Where [46][47][44][45] | Central America to northern Argentina | Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America | South America; carried to other countries |
| Tell-tale sign [5][13] | Black-and-pale bands under the front legs; red jaw hairs | Black dots on white (C. getazi) or bright red (C. coccineus) under the front legs | A dark violin-shaped mark on the front body; 6 eyes in 3 pairs |
| Web to catch prey? [5][18][19][13] | No, hunts on foot at night | No, hunts on foot | Yes, messy cotton-like webs |
| Size [2][5][34][13] | Body 1.7–4.8 cm; up to 18 cm with legs | Large and often mistaken for Phoneutria | Body ≈1 cm; up to 3 cm with legs (recluses in Brazil) |
| Danger to people [33][5][39] | Medically important; most bites mild | Largely harmless | Medically important; bites can damage skin |
| Antivenom in Brazil [40] | Yes: anti-arachnid antivenom | Not needed | Yes: anti-recluse or anti-arachnid antivenom |

Even experienced arachnologists have mistaken harmless Cupiennius for Phoneutria. If in doubt, don’t touch: let an expert identify it.

### Is the Brazilian wandering spider endangered?

No Phoneutria species has been assessed for the IUCN Red List. Some live happily around farms and towns, but one species is threatened and much of their forest is gone.

- **IUCN Red List:** Not Evaluated (NE) (Trend unknown). P. nigriventer copes with plantations, gardens and towns and lives at high densities in some places. Most other species are forest spiders. Without assessments, nobody knows whether their numbers are changing. [5][14]
- Not evaluated by the IUCN Red List
- **Threat: Forest loss** (≈90%): Nearly 90% of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, home of most Phoneutria outside the Amazon, has been cleared over the past 500 years. [48][2]
- **Threat: Tiny ranges**: P. bahiensis lives only in Atlantic Forest and coastal restinga in Bahia and Espírito Santo, and is on Brazil’s list of threatened species. [43][5]
- **Helping: Forest restoration** (+10–20 points): The Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact, a network of more than 250 groups, raised restored forest cover by 10–20 percentage points on the land it supported. [48]
- **Helping: Protected areas** (11): Eleven protected areas lie in the best habitat predicted for P. bahiensis. [43]
- **Helping: Citizen science**: Photos shared on iNaturalist have helped scientists map where Phoneutria species live, which also shows where bites are more likely. [30]

### Brazilian wandering spider signals

- Front legs raised high, body upright: A warning: it feels threatened. Back away slowly. [5]
- Swaying side to side, fangs on show: Still warning. Give it space and tell an adult. [5]
- Walking slowly on the ground at night: Out hunting insects and other small animals. [5]
- Tucked into leaves, a crevice or a shoe by day: Resting. Bites usually happen when someone presses one against their skin by accident, so shake out shoes and gloves. [13][16][32][33]
- Female sitting with silk egg sacs: Guarding her eggs. Leave her alone. [5]
- Male roaming from March to May: Looking for a mate. This is the season when most bites happen. [5]

### Who’s who

- **Adult female**: The full warning kit: banded front legs and red jaw hairs. An adult female P. nigriventer gives nearly 3 times as much venom as an adult male. (Makes up to 4 silk egg sacs and keeps them with her) [29][5]
- **Adult male**: Longer legs for its size, and palp tips modified for mating. In one measured pair (P. boliviensis), the male’s front leg was 53 mm long and the female’s 33 mm, with bodies about 21 mm long. (Wanders widely from March to May looking for females) [30][8][5]
- **Spiderling**: Newly hatched spiderlings have an extra claw on each leg and spin a small web. Venom from 2–3-month-old P. nigriventer did not kill mice at the doses tested; it gets stronger as the spider grows. (Can catch prey as soon as it leaves the egg sac; grown up at about 3 years) [11][31][5]

### Brazilian wandering spider quiz

1. How many eyes does a Brazilian wandering spider have? **8.** Eight eyes in three rows: 2, then 4, then 2. [1]
2. How does it catch its food? **By hunting on foot at night.** It is a night hunter that doesn’t use a web to catch prey. [5]
3. What does it do when it feels threatened? **Rears up and raises its front legs.** It stands on its back legs, lifts its 4 front legs and sways, showing banded legs and red jaw hairs. [5]
4. What colour are the hairs on its jaws in many species? **Red.** Many Phoneutria species have bright red hairs on their jaws (chelicerae). [5]
5. About how wide can it measure with its legs stretched out? **18 cm.** Up to 18 cm across; the body alone is 1.7–4.8 cm. [2]
6. In a study of 422 bite patients, about how many had only mild symptoms? **About 9 in 10.** 89.8% were mild and only 0.5% severe. [33]
7. What should you do if someone is bitten? **Wash the bite, tell an adult and see a doctor.** Wash it, tell an adult and go to a doctor or hospital. Never try to catch the spider. [16]
8. Most big spiders found in imported bananas turn out to be… **Harmless look-alikes such as Cupiennius.** Real Phoneutria are rare in fruit shipments; experts even mix up harmless Cupiennius with them. [34]
9. Which spiders share Guinness’s “most venomous spiders” title with Phoneutria? **Australian funnel-web spiders.** Guinness lists two contenders: Phoneutria and Australian funnel-web spiders. [37]
10. Spiders are… **Arachnids.** Spiders are arachnids, like scorpions and ticks. [16]
11. When do male wandering spiders roam most in Brazil? **March–May.** Males wander from March to May looking for females, when most bites happen. [5]
12. Why are scientists studying its venom? **To find new medicines, such as painkillers.** Single toxins have eased pain and lowered eye pressure in lab animals, though none is a medicine yet. [20][21]

### Sources (checked 2026-10-16)

1. [Hazzi N, Hormiga G (2024). Systematics, distribution patterns and historical biogeography of the Central America wandering spider genus Kiekie Polotow & Brescovit, 2018 (Araneae: Ctenidae). PeerJ 12:e17242.](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17242)
2. [Martins R, Bertani R (2007). The non-Amazonian species of the Brazilian wandering spiders of the genus Phoneutria Perty, 1833 (Araneae: Ctenidae), with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 1526:1–36.](https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1526.1.1)
3. [Australian Museum (2022). How spiders see the world.](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/how-spiders-see-the-world/)
4. [Australian Museum (2026). Spiders.](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/)
5. [Reeves LE, Gillett-Kaufman JL (2018). Armed spiders Phoneutria Perty (Arachnida: Araneae: Ctenidae). EDIS 2018(2), University of Florida IFAS Extension (IN1207).](https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in1207-2018)
6. [Mammola S, Michalik P, Hebets EA, Isaia M (2017). Record breaking achievements by spiders and the scientists who study them. PeerJ 5:e3972.](https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3972)
7. [World Spider Catalog (2026). Genus Phoneutria Perty, 1833: genus page and species list (9 accepted species). Natural History Museum Bern, version 2026.](https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genus-detail/815/Phoneutria)
8. [Australian Museum. Spider structure.](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/spider-structure/)
9. [Australian Museum. The hairy spider.](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/the-hairy-spider/)
10. [Diniz MRV, Paiva ALB, Guerra-Duarte C, Nishiyama MY, Mudadu MA, Oliveira U, Borges MH, Yates JR, Junqueira-de-Azevedo IL (2018). An overview of Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom using combined transcriptomic and proteomic approaches. PLoS ONE 13(8):e0200628.](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200628)
11. [Hazzi NA (2014). Natural history of Phoneutria boliviensis (Araneae: Ctenidae): habitats, reproductive behavior, postembryonic development and prey-wrapping. Journal of Arachnology 42(3):303–310.](https://doi.org/10.1636/Hi13-05.1)
12. [Barth FG (2004). Spider mechanoreceptors. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 14(4):415–422.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2004.07.005)
13. [Ministério da Saúde, Brasil (2025). Acidentes por aranhas [Spider accidents]. gov.br.](https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/saude-de-a-a-z/a/animais-peconhentos/acidentes-por-aranhas)
14. [Martins JG, Pardal PPO, Brescovit AD, Procópio REL (2025). An overview of spider accidents in the Brazilian Amazon. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 31:e20240057.](https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2024-0057)
15. [Torres-Sánchez MP, Gasnier TR (2010). Patterns of abundance, habitat use and body size structure of Phoneutria reidyi and P. fera (Araneae: Ctenidae) in a Central Amazonian rainforest. Journal of Arachnology 38(3):433–440.](https://doi.org/10.1636/P08-93.1)
16. [Ministério da Saúde, Brasil (2022, updated 2023). Acidentes por aranhas: Perguntas frequentes (FAQ). gov.br.](https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/saude-de-a-a-z/a/animais-peconhentos/acidentes-por-aranhas/faq)
17. [Queiroz M, Gasnier TR (2017). Strong negative effect of diurnal rainfall on nocturnal activity of a wandering spider in Central Amazonia. Revista de Biología Tropical 65(3):1152–1160.](https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v65i3.29435)
18. [Klopsch C, Kuhlmann HC, Barth FG (2012). Airflow elicits a spider’s jump towards airborne prey. I. Airflow around a flying blowfly. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 9(75):2591–2602.](https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2012.0186)
19. [Barth FG (2021). A spider in motion: facets of sensory guidance. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 207(2):239–255.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-020-01449-z)
20. [Peigneur S, de Lima ME, Tytgat J (2018). Phoneutria nigriventer venom: a pharmacological treasure. Toxicon 151:96–110.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.07.008)
21. [Dallegrave E, Taschetto E, Bainy Leal M, Techera Antunes FT, Gomez MV, Hubner de Souza A (2018). Acute toxicity of the recombinant and native Phα1β toxin: new analgesic from Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom. Toxins 10(12):531.](https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins10120531)
22. [Pedron C, Antunes FTT, Rebelo IN, Campos MM, Correa ÁP, Klein CP, de Oliveira IB, do Nascimento Cordeiro M, Gomez MV, de Souza AH (2021). Phoneutria nigriventer Tx3-3 peptide toxin reduces fibromyalgia symptoms in mice. Neuropeptides 85:102094.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npep.2020.102094)
23. [da Silva CN, Dourado LFN, de Lima ME, da Silva Cunha-Jr A (2020). PnPP-19 peptide as a novel drug candidate for topical glaucoma therapy through nitric oxide release. Translational Vision Science & Technology 9(8):33.](https://doi.org/10.1167/tvst.9.8.33)
24. [Lauria PSS, Villarreal CF, Casais-e-Silva LL (2020). Pain modulatory properties of Phoneutria nigriventer crude venom and derived peptides: a double-edged sword. Toxicon 185:120–128.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.07.005)
25. [Sierra Ramírez D, Guevara G, Franco Pérez LM, van der Meijden A, González-Gómez JC, Valenzuela-Rojas JC, Prada Quiroga CF (2021). Deciphering the diet of a wandering spider (Phoneutria boliviensis; Araneae: Ctenidae) by DNA metabarcoding of gut contents. Ecology and Evolution 11(11):5950–5965.](https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7320)
26. [Valenzuela-Rojas JC, González-Gómez JC, Guevara G, Franco LM, Reinoso-Flórez G, García LF (2020). Notes on the feeding habits of a wandering spider, Phoneutria boliviensis (Arachnida: Ctenidae). Journal of Arachnology 48(1):43–48.](https://doi.org/10.1636/0161-8202-48.1.43)
27. [Valenzuela-Rojas JC, González-Gómez JC, van der Meijden A, Cortés JN, Guevara G, Franco LM, Pekár S, García LF (2019). Prey and venom efficacy of male and female wandering spider, Phoneutria boliviensis (Araneae: Ctenidae). Toxins 11(11):622.](https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11110622)
28. [González-Gómez JC, Simone Y, Pérez LMF, Valenzuela-Rojas JC, van der Meijden A (2024). Rapid prey manipulation and bite location preferences in three species of wandering spiders. Behavioural Processes 221:105083.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105083)
29. [Herzig V, Ward RJ, dos Santos WF (2002). Intersexual variations in the venom of the Brazilian ‘armed’ spider Phoneutria nigriventer (Keyserling, 1891). Toxicon 40(10):1399–1406.](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0041-0101(02)00136-8)
30. [Hazzi NA, Hormiga G (2021). Morphological and molecular evidence support the taxonomic separation of the medically important Neotropical spiders Phoneutria depilata (Strand, 1909) and P. boliviensis (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) (Araneae, Ctenidae). ZooKeys 1022:13–50.](https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1022.60571)
31. [Herzig V, Ward RJ, dos Santos WF (2004). Ontogenetic changes in Phoneutria nigriventer (Araneae, Ctenidae) spider venom. Toxicon 44(6):635–640.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2004.07.020)
32. [Ministério da Saúde, Brasil (2025). Acidentes por aranhas: Prevenção. gov.br.](https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/saude-de-a-a-z/a/animais-peconhentos/acidentes-por-aranhas/prevencao)
33. [Bucaretchi F, Deus Reinaldo CR, Hyslop S, Madureira PR, De Capitani EM, Vieira RJ (2000). A clinico-epidemiological study of bites by spiders of the genus Phoneutria. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 42(1):17–21.](https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652000000100003)
34. [Vetter RS, Crawford RL, Buckle DJ (2014). Spiders (Araneae) found in bananas and other international cargo submitted to North American arachnologists for identification. Journal of Medical Entomology 51(6):1136–1143.](https://doi.org/10.1603/ME14037)
35. [Sherwood D (2025). Annotated checklist of imported non-native spider (Araneae) taxa recorded in the United Kingdom 1800–2024. Arthropoda Selecta 34(1):121–160.](https://doi.org/10.15298/arthsel.34.1.10)
36. [Chippaux JP (2015). Epidemiology of envenomations by terrestrial venomous animals in Brazil based on case reporting: from obvious facts to contingencies. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 21:13.](https://doi.org/10.1186/s40409-015-0011-1)
37. [Guinness World Records (2016). Most venomous spiders (Atracidae funnel-web spiders and Phoneutria wandering spiders).](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-venomous-spider)
38. [Bucaretchi F, Mileti LNCR, Ricardi AST, Borrasca-Fernandes CF, Prado CC, De Capitani EM, Hyslop S (2023). Assessment of local pain and analgesia in envenoming by wandering spiders (Phoneutria spp.). Toxicon 226:107083.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107083)
39. [Ministério da Saúde, Brasil (2025). Acidentes por aranhas: Sintomas. gov.br.](https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/saude-de-a-a-z/a/animais-peconhentos/acidentes-por-aranhas/sintomas)
40. [Ministério da Saúde, Brasil (2025). Acidentes por aranhas: Tratamento. gov.br.](https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/saude-de-a-a-z/a/animais-peconhentos/acidentes-por-aranhas/tratamento)
41. [Chiariello TM, da Silva RE, de Oliveira Jorge Costa J, Marcili A (2022). Diversity of intestinal protozoa and clinical signs associated in wild-caught Phoneutria nigriventer kept in captivity for the anti-arachnid serum production. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 17:7–13.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.11.006)
42. [Ministério da Saúde, Brasil (2025). Acidentes por aranhas: Situação epidemiológica. gov.br.](https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/saude-de-a-a-z/a/animais-peconhentos/acidentes-por-aranhas/situacao-epidemiologica)
43. [Dias MA, Simó M, Castellano I, Brescovit AD (2011). Modeling distribution of Phoneutria bahiensis (Araneae: Ctenidae): an endemic and threatened spider from Brazil. Zoologia (Curitiba) 28(4):432–439.](https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-46702011000400004)
44. [World Spider Catalog (2026). Genus Cupiennius Simon, 1891 (Trechaleidae) and species list. Natural History Museum Bern.](https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genus-detail/800/Cupiennius)
45. [World Spider Catalog (2026). Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet, 1849). Natural History Museum Bern.](https://wsc.nmbe.ch/spec-data/40903/Loxosceles_laeta)
46. [World Spider Catalog (2026). Phoneutria nigriventer (Keyserling, 1891). Natural History Museum Bern.](https://wsc.nmbe.ch/spec-data/14708/Phoneutria_nigriventer)
47. [World Spider Catalog (2026). Phoneutria depilata (Strand, 1909). Natural History Museum Bern.](https://wsc.nmbe.ch/spec-data/54310/Phoneutria_depilata)
48. [Toto R, Alix-García J, Sims KRE, Coutinho B, Muñoz Brenes C, Pugliese L, Mendes AF (2025). Evidence on scaling forest restoration from the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact in Brazil. Nature Communications 16:4715.](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59194-3)
49. [Bucaretchi F, Mello SM, Vieira RJ, Mamoni RL, Blotta MHSL, Antunes E, Hyslop S (2008). Systemic envenomation caused by the wandering spider Phoneutria nigriventer, with quantification of circulating venom. Clinical Toxicology 46(9):885–889.](https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650802258524)
50. [Sampaio VS, Gomes AA, Silva IM, Sachett J, Ferreira LCL, Oliveira S, Sabidò M, Chalkidis H, et al. (2016). Low health system performance, indigenous status and antivenom underdosage correlate with spider envenoming severity in the remote Brazilian Amazon. PLoS ONE 11(5):e0156386.](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156386)
51. [Jäger P, Blick T (2009). Zur Identifikation einer nach Deutschland eingeschleppten Kammspinnenart (Araneae: Ctenidae: Phoneutria boliviensis). Arachnologische Mitteilungen 38:33–36.](https://doi.org/10.5431/aramit3805)
52. [Australian Museum (2026). Spider facts: What are banana spiders and where are they found?](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/spider-facts/)
53. [Liddell HG, Scott R, Jones HS. A Greek–English Lexicon (LSJ): φονεύτρια (phoneútria), “murderess”. Online edition at lsj.gr.](https://lsj.gr/wiki/%CF%86%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%8D%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1)

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 17-48 mm
- **Lifespan:** 365-2190 days
- **Leg Count:** 8

## Diet & Feeding

A nocturnal hunter, it eats insects and small creatures it finds on the forest floor.

- **Primary Foods:** insects, other spiders, small amphibians, small reptiles
- **Foraging Method:** Pursuit

## Ecological connections

- **Hunts:** [Field Cricket](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-cricket) (*Gryllus assimilis*) — Actively hunts these common insects on the ground.
- **Eats:** Tree frog (*Hylidae*) — Wandering spiders have been seen eating frogs in Brazil, and field records include tree frogs.
- **Eaten by:** Common Opossum (*Didelphis marsupialis*) — Nocturnal opossums may prey on these spiders.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Rainforest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rainforest): This habitat trait refers to species found in tropical rainforests, characterized by high annual rainfall, high biodiversity, and dense tree cover.
- [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
- [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.
- [Venomous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/venomous): Venomous organisms produce toxins that are injected into another animal, typically through a bite or sting.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 5/5 · Extreme

Avoid touching or approaching this spider in the wild. Always seek help if bitten.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Brazilian Wandering Spider?

Compare body proportions, leg shape, abdomen markings and the web, if there is one. Eye arrangement can be decisive but rarely shows up in a casual phone photo. A web is a supporting clue, not proof of who built it. Spider Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Brazilian Wandering Spider?

17-48 mm

### How long does Brazilian Wandering Spider live?

365-2190 days

### What does Brazilian Wandering Spider eat?

A nocturnal hunter, it eats insects and small creatures it finds on the forest floor.

### Where is Brazilian Wandering Spider usually found?

Rainforest

### How does Brazilian Wandering Spider hunt?

Pursuit

### How many legs does Brazilian Wandering Spider have?

8

## More Invertebrate

- [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral)
- [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*)
- [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*)
- [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*)

---

Source: [Brazilian Wandering Spider: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brazilian-wandering-spider)