There are two common groups that are both referred to as "banana spiders," but they're totally different from one another. The first group is the wandering spiders, which is the family Ctenidae, or ctenids. The other is an entirely different family, the Sparassidae, which are the huntsman spiders. They're both big spiders that have relatively long legs. They can both easily be the size of the palm of your hand, no problem.
Is there an easy way to tell the two types of banana spiders apart?
In one description of the spider in Tulsa, the store manager said it jumped at him. That is so much more like wandering than the huntsman spiders. Huntsmans back off and then run away sideways really fast. They're fast, but they're not aggressive.
Huntsmans are big enough [for their bites] to break the skin. I've probably been bitten by huntsmans—I work with Australian huntsman spiders—I don't know, five times? It hurts because it breaks the skin, but their venom is really nothing much, and they're not really inclined to bite at all. When a wandering spider is threatened, though, it tends to rear up so its front legs go up in the air in a pretty feisty way, often with its fangs open. It's really scary. So, you've got very, very different behaviors.
The huntsman spiders are also different in appearance. Most spiders stand up on all eight legs, but the huntsman spider's legs are rotated so that they're horizontal to the body. This allows them to get really flat to the ground and to move sideways really effectively. In fact, in the U.S. they're sometimes called "giant crab spiders," because they can scuttle around like crabs. The wandering spiders have normal legs that aren't rotated like the huntsman spiders' legs, so they're clearly standing upright, and the underside of the wanderings' front legs, at least in some of their species, is often brightly colored in reds or yellows. It's a warning coloration.
What should consumers do if they encounter one of these spiders in their fruit?
It's like anything: you have to pay attention to what you're doing and make sure you rinse off your fruit. The wandering and huntsman spiders are both pretty big, so you wouldn't miss them.
Black widows are much easier to miss, because they're about the size of a grape. Black widows are really fast in webs, but they're pretty inadequate on the ground. They really can't run on the ground at all. Their abdomens are just too big, so they kind of waddle around. So a black widow is more inclined to simply drop off the web or off a grape into, say, your sink. And then, once on the ground, it's not going anywhere fast.
Wandering spiders and huntsman spiders are really fast, and they do just fine on the ground. Now, I'm personally not all that big on squishing these guys. I think it's a whole lot more interesting to get them in a jar and get them identified. Spiders don’t naturally attack humans, so the risk of getting bitten is very low. Basically, people shouldn’t worry too much. Black widows, for example, are really shy. They only bite when they perceive a threat, such as a hand trying to grab them. You should try to get the offending spider to drop on the ground and quickly scoop it up into a large container (just as you would with any other spider).
If a black widow does bite you, wait 15 minutes to see if she (only the females are toxic enough to harm humans) has actually injected venom in you--it starts to really hurt. That is the advice given by Poison Control in Arizona. Then go to an emergency room where they can provide antivenom or palliative treatment. Evidently, when a Brazilian wandering spider bites, it hurts immediately, so you go to the doctor or emergency room with the spider if possible, It’s always best for people to bring the spider with them, so the hospital can provide the correct treatment. (For more tips see the CDC’s guide on venomous spiders.)
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18 Comments
Add Commentspiders are not insects...check the last line of paragraph 3...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWHO cares???!?!?!?! Spiders are creepy and eeeevil. I step on them ALL - no matter how minute. hairy, ugly little beasties - die die die!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI remember having a discussion with my nephew because he was uncomfortable with me killing every spider in sight - I got the 'they are part of this world and have a right to be here' talk. I made the analogy that if I stumbled into a den of lions, I don't think they'd have a powwow discussing my right to be there since I was a denizen of the planet - I'd be lunch! lol
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article says "You pretty much have a chance of getting black widowswhich are found all over the worldin grapes anywhere they grow."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNot quite true. Black Widows are not found in Australia. Also, imported grapes are fumigated which pretty much kills off everything (Aust quarantine laws).
This article is fantastic. My first thought was (jokingly) "no more fruit for me!" But really, I will just keep an eye out. So much interesting and useful information in here, thanks!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSpiders are amazing creatures. I have 18 tarantulas, and they are just fascinating.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe analogy with the den of lions is interesting, but not quite accurate. They wouldn't kill you just because they don't like your looks. Simply catch any errant spider in a jar or cup and put it outside.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou kill (web) spiders, you get (more) mosquitoes (possibly the most human dangerous animal in the world)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSimilarly you kill snakes, you get rats, which as disease and dirt vectors (carriers) and food consumers are way more dangerous than snakes
Look at the statistics --- be wary of bees
Especially (and this applies to spiders and snakes) if the possible victim is small (baby, small child), or old and decrepit, or has "bad" allergies.
Snakes and spiders have terrible "press", (see Genesis, Little Miss Muffet etc)
If you keep a few webs going in your (bed)rooms, annoying mosquitoes and flies seldom annoy for more than 30 minutes
Very unwise! Suppose they're really aliens. You might start an interstellar war.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOur species seems hard wired to be frightened by snakes and spiders. If you observe these creatures, however, snakes are often graceful and spiders fascinating. Beauty, perhaps, is in the eye of the beholder.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThink of the recently laid next generation: Let's not forget about the eggs of the spiders hatching in your pantries, and fruit bowls all over the world. I'm sure they are close... creepy extension.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisactually its the cats that are alien spies
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisreply to jimlacey
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishumans are "hardwired" to fast and/or sudden movements (not specifically to snakes and spiders)
snakes and spiders were/are a food source
mah Weavers.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDon't you dare touch them.
When will they find a cure for the Honeybee?
there is no replacement.
Can these spider's harm or toxic our bananas? How do we know banana's are safe to eat?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiswhat you need to get from store for spider's...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi need help i have no idea about spider's
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article is out of date. I have witnessed 2 people get bitten and die in Seattle and 3 die in Oregon. These Brazilian Wondering spiders are all over North America and killing thousands of people not to mention the livestock and pets. This article is not letting the public know of the real threat. I have seen people die within 3 minutes of a bite in Oregon and Washington. Please be aware of this threat!
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