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)
Epigyne
(Jäger 2000a)
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
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 
Bosmans R. (unpubl.) Provisional list of spiders of North Africa. Database excerpt Aug. 2019
Buchar J, Růžička V (2002) Catalogue of spiders of the Czech Republic. Peres Publishers, Praha, 351 pp.
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
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 (2024) World Spider Catalog. Version 25.0. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (22.01.2024) doi: 10.24436/2
Updates
| 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 |