The Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria) is a highly venomous spider. It lives in South America. Brazilian wandering spiders are also called armed spiders or banana spiders.
Adult spiders reach a leg span of 13 to 15 cm with their body length measuring at 17 – 48 mm. Banana spiders can be recognized by their red hairs.
Brazilian wandering spiders are found throughout the South America including Andes, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Paraguay. They also live in Central America much less in Panama and Costa Rica.
Banana spiders feed on katydids, tree frogs, crickets, lizards, and mantids.
Wandering spider ear
ns its name because it moves on the ground especially at night. They don’t make web or hang in a lair. Banana spiders are ambush hunters.
The female is bigger than the male. The female eats the male soon after mating.
The wandering spider lives inside the termite mounds, or in fallen rocks. They like to live in banana leaves which is why they are so called.
Wandering spiders do not hesitate to live in cities. They will find dark abandoned places to make homes.
