Facts, Information, Scientific Name of Banana Spider
Let us learn about a spider who hides in a Banana shipment but has an amazing talent to weave a sunny-coloured web that also fulfils its hunger.
Common name – Banana Spider, Brazilian wandering spider, Armed Spiders.
Scientific name – Phoneutria.
Size – 17mm- 48mm in length.
Type – Arachnids (Spider family)
Where can one spot a Banana Spider?
Banana spiders prefer the environment of High Humidity Forests and Backyards of your residence in countries like South America, Central America, Brazil, Asia, Africa, and warmer regions of the world.
What insects fulfil the hunger of this Spider?
Mosquitoes, Frogs, Lizards, Bugs, Grasshoppers, Bees, Butterflies, Stinkbugs, etc.
What is the appearance of Banana Spiders?
Males are Brown and small compared to Females.
Females have giant orange, reddish, greenish bodies with lighter spots with colourful stripes on their legs.
There are tufts on female legs which is the hair growth. Both males and females have gracefully thin bodies.
Find out the peculiar fact about the Web construction of these Spiders.
Males cannot weave their nests. They reside on Females web. The web of the Banana spider is 6 feet in diameter. Females have an excellent strategy of weaving a camouflage silk web that matches the colours of the Sun, that is Yellow and orange.
Hence the prey that Flies towards the web gets accidentally trapped on the well-camouflaged web and becomes a source of food for the spider.
Webs can be found in between Buildings, Trees, Edges of woodland, and clearings near water bodies.
What are the mating strategies of Banana Spiders?
Before the last moult (form) of the Female, she ceases the web weaving, and now is the chance for a male to attempt to mate as the Female will be receptive to mating for just 48 hours.
The Female later spins 2 egg sacs which hold 100 eggs on the corner of the Tree.
Females live for a month after mating, male banana spiders just survive for 2-3 weeks.
Why name a spider ‘Banana’?
The unique name of these spiders comes from their habit of residing in the Banana Shipment. They are a very shy species with a painless bite.
Also See ⇒ Atlas Moth Facts