Banana spiders in German supermarkets: These four species cause panic
Created: 2022-12-29 04:54
By: Olaf Kubasik
When a spider appears in German supermarkets, there is panic - but only one species is extremely dangerous for humans.
Global trade also has its dark side.
Again and again, poisonous spiders get into parts of the world where they don't really belong.
As invasive species, the neozoa then cause fear and terror because, in contrast to the native species, they can penetrate human skin with their biting tools and their bites can have painful or fatal consequences, as
echo24.de reports
of these five species that may soon be arriving in Germany know how to tell.
The species of spiders stigmatized as “banana spiders” and often stylized by the media as “highly poisonous monsters”, on the other hand, are almost exclusively imported with the fruit.
Because in their South and Central American home countries, as nocturnal ambush hunters, they seek shelter in plants during the day - and above all in banana trees.
Which is why they are increasingly ending up in German supermarkets.
The Myth of the “Banana Spiders”
There are no banana spiders, as the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety reports: "It's a long-lived myth, and there are no spiders that explicitly live on and certainly not in bananas." Since some spider species are ambush hunters, they search themselves a place where they wait for prey.
Since bananas grow together and are also packed in groups, the animals prefer the fruit to others.
Biologist Claudia Wesseloh from the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe criticizes in a scientific article on "Banana Spiders" that after the supposed horror find one unfortunately only rarely finds out "whether it was actually THE supposed spider species".
The expert is aiming for an eight-legged creature that leads the ranking of the five most dangerous spiders in the world.
But there are also three other less dangerous exotic species in addition to the supermarket horror spider, all of which
echo24.de
presents.
Banana spiders in German supermarkets: Four species cause panic
The giant wandering spider is not for the faint-hearted.
As its name suggests,
Cupiennius salei is
an imposing animal that has absolutely no interest in biting people in German supermarkets.
Because the shy eight-legged creature from the fisher spider family - not to be confused with fishing net spiders, to which this invasive species belongs - flees after its imported discovery before it even threatens anyone.
The problem of the species: Large wandering spiders are almost indistinguishable from the deadliest spider in the world.
And when they are discovered, that causes panic, evacuation, large-scale operations.
The hothouse giant crab spider, which has been established in Germany for a long time, is also responsible for large-scale operations in supermarkets.
Because of their enormous appearance.
BECAUSE:
Heteropoda venatoria
has a leg span of up to 30 centimeters!
But the huge banana hiding friend bites painfully when threatened, but with relatively harmless effects.
And in most cases, the warm house giant crab spider is THE eight-legged creature that appears most frequently in the banana boxes of German supermarkets due to its worldwide distribution - such as at Edeka in Heilbronn in 2017.
Banana spiders in Germany: there is only one species in danger of death in supermarkets
But now to the reason why “banana spiders” are considered a mega-danger for humans: the genus is called
Phoneutria
, which means “murderer”.
The fact that
Phoneutria epilata fulfills
a special, "new" role in Germany's supermarkets supports the myth of death.
HOWEVER: Though giga-aggressive, this
Phoneutria
species, thought to be a banana spider, is relatively harmless compared to its infernal sister.
Maximum consequence for humans after a bite:.
Swelling and irritation of the lymphatic system.
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Pheunotria
nigriventer, the Brazilian wandering spider, on the other hand, is the perfect human killer.
And finally THE "banana spider", because of which supermarkets have to be evacuated and rescue services have to be alerted when they find something.
Reason: The animal quickly pulls out of its hairy skin, can attack in a jump of up to 1.50 meters and has a poison that is 20 times more deadly than that of the black widow.
How should people in supermarkets react when encountering a large spider?
Keep calm and keep your distance
If possible, cover the banana box
Call the fire brigade and inform the staff
In the event of a bite, consult a doctor immediately
