Heteropoda venatoria (Linnaeus, 1767)
Description
Both eye rows recurved. Anterior median eyes smaller than anterior lateral eyes, posterior lateral eyes on vague elevations. Legs II much longer than remaining legs, leg position distinctly laterigrade, leg formula II-I-IV-III.
Body length male: 21 mmBody length female: 17-34 mm
Additional information
Big, very quick spiders, in Central Europe only in warm houses, often also in storehouses (banana spider), but not able to survive here in the wild. Originally from Southeast Asia, cosmopolitically distributed today. Females carry the discus-shaped, 20-30 mm large cocoon, welcomed guests in houses in the tropics because they capture cockroaches and other insects.
This species can bite humans, usually when they try to catch or remove it with their hands. The bite causes pain, described as immediate and transient, disappearing already after a few minutes.
This species of Asian origin is not native to Europe (alien species). It had been introduced to Europe at least once and did establish.
Distribution
Phenology
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Figures
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Jäger 2000a)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Baert et al. 2023)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Baert et al. 2023)
Epigyne
(Jäger 2000a)
Epigyne
(Baert et al. 2023)
Vulva
(Jäger 2000a)
Eyes, dorsal view
(Jäger 2000a)
Chelicerae, ventral view
(Jäger 2000a)
Distribution List
"No references" does not mean that the species does not occur in this country, but that we have not yet inserted the reference for it. We are working on it.
References
Baert L, Maelfait J-P, Desender K, Hendrickx F, Dekoninck W, Berthet M, Bouckaert K, Caudron J, Leclercq M (2023) Updated checklist, origin, distribution, literature and genital drawings of the spiders of the Galápagos Islands Belgian Journal of Entomology 142: 1-188 
Benhalima S, Bosmans R (2024) First historical checklist of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Morocco, between 1840–2024. Zootaxa 5555: 407-535
Blick T, Finch O-D, Harms K H, Kiechle J, Kielhorn K-H , Kreuels M, Malten A, Martin D, Muster C, Nährig D, Platen R, Rödel I, Scheidler M, Staudt A, Stumpf H, Tolke D (2016) Rote Liste und Gesamtartenliste der Spinnen (Arachnida: Araneae) Deutschlands. 3. Fassung, Stand April 2008, einzelne Änderungen und Nachträge bis August 2015. Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt 70/4: 383-510
Buchar J, Růžička V (2002) Catalogue of spiders of the Czech Republic. Peres Publishers, Praha, 351 pp.
Hänggi A (2003) Nachträge zum "Katalog der schweizerischen Spinnen" - 3. Neunachweise von 1999 bis 2002 und Nachweise synanthroper Spinnen Arachnologische Mitteilungen 26: 36-54
Helsdingen P J van (2015b) Binnenwandelende exoten. Nieuwsbrief SPINED 35: 33-34
Isbister G K, White J (2004) Clinical consequences of spider bites: recent advances in our understanding. Toxicon 43: 477-492
Jäger P (2000a) Selten nachgewiesene Spinnenarten aus Deutschland (Arachnida: Araneae). Arachnologische Mitteilungen 19: 49-57
Kunt K B, Basat K, Özkütük R S (2021) A stowaway from Cyprus; Heteropoda venatoria Linnaeus, 1767 (Araneae, Sparassidae). Commagene Journal of Biology 5: 96-97
Lavery A (2019) A revised checklist of the spiders of Great Britain and Ireland. Arachnology 18: 196-212
Rozwałka R, Rutkowski T, Bielak-Bielecki P (2013) New data on introduced and rare synanthropic spider species (Arachnida: Araneae) in Poland. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Lublin-Polonia 68: 127-150
Van Keer K (2007) Exotic spiders (Araneae): verified reports from Belgium of imported species (1976-2006) and some notes on apparent neozoan invasive species. Nieuwsbrief van de Belgische Arachnologische Vereniging 22: 45-54
Wilson R (2012) An American jumper in Leeds, west Yorkshire and an update on non-native taxa recorded in the UK. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society 123: 10-15
WSC (2025) World Spider Catalog. Version 26. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (28.2.2025) doi: 10.24436/2
Updates
| 29-03-2025 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 24-01-2025 | Image insert | |
| 03-11-2022 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 21-12-2021 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 09-10-2021 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 16-01-2021 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 02-05-2020 | Datasheet update | Detail |
| 21-09-2017 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 05-09-2017 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 03-02-2017 | Image insert | |
| 13-05-2014 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 10-12-2013 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 26-11-2013 | Datasheet update | Detail |