Big wandering spider

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Big wandering spider
Large wandering spider (Cupiennius salei), female

Large wandering spider ( Cupiennius salei ), female

Systematics
Order : Spiders (Araneae)
Subordination : Real spiders (Araneomorphae)
Partial order : Entelegynae
Family : Fishing spiders (Trechaleidae)
Genre : Cupiennius
Type : Big wandering spider
Scientific name
Cupiennius salei
( Keyserling , 1877)

The large wandering spider or wandering tiger spider ( Cupiennius salei ) is a spider from the family of fishing spiders (Trechaleidae). It occurs in the south of North and predominantly in Central America and is also one of the best known species in the family.

The common English name of the large wandering spider is Tiger wandering spider , the meaning of which is roughly identical to the German common name "Wandering Tiger Spider ".

features

Graphic illustrating the eyesight of the great wandering spider.

The female of the great wandering spider reaches a body length of 27 to 38 and the male one of 22 to 26 millimeters. The leg span of both sexes can be over 100 millimeters. With these dimensions, the large wandering spider is one of the larger species of the genus Cupiennius . The legs enable the spider to move quickly and agile. Like all species of fishing spiders (Trechaleidae), the great wandering spider can also swim successfully and move underwater. The oxygen supply is stored with the help of the setae (hair).

Like many species of the superfamily Lycosoidea, the great wandering spider has very powerful eyes. The two slightly larger and forward-facing main eyes are used to perceive shapes, the side eyes are used to perceive movements. The spider's sense of sight also enables distances and shapes to be estimated. The sensilla (sensory hair) of the great wandering spider are well developed and enable it to perceive very light vibrations and other air movements. The thick hair on the legs, including the tarsi (foot members) of the great wandering spider, enables it to move on smooth surfaces such as panes of glass. In the great wandering spider, as in other spiders, there is a strongly pronounced sexual dimorphism (difference between the sexes).

female

The stronger and more contrasting colored female has a clearly darker basic color, flanked by several lighter points on the abdomen ( opisthosoma ) and several stripes, especially on the carapace and partly on the abdomen. The legs of the female are also lightly striped. The underside of the females has a red-orange warning color, with several black stripes in between.

male

male

The less powerfully built male has narrower legs, which makes it appear longer-legged than the female. It is drawn with much less contrast and has a light brown basic color and apart from the black line on the underside, which is also present in the female, has no drawings.

Similar species

Female of the Brazilian wandering spider ( Phoneutria nigriventer ) from the family of comb spiders ( Ctenidae )

In addition to the other spiders of the genus Cupiennius , the great wandering spider also resembles some comb spiders ( Ctenidae ), including those of the genus Phoneutria , such as the Brazilian wandering spider ( P. nigriventer ), which are potentially dangerous for humans . Mixing up the species of both genera can therefore have serious consequences.

Distinguishing features of both types are sometimes the size and the color scheme. The species of the genus Phoneutria are mostly larger and, moreover, less contrasting in color. In addition, like almost all species of the genus Cupiennius, unlike those of the genus Phoneutria , the great wandering spider has no red chelicerae (jaw claws). Another difference is the main focus of the genus Phoneutria in southern America and the genus Cupiennius including the great wandering spider in Central America.

Occurrence

Rainforest in the Cerro Celaque National Park in Honduras , one of the habitats of the great wandering spider.

The great wandering spider is common in Mexico and Central America including Hispaniola . There she lives with great preference different trees in rainforests , which are covered with epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants), twigs and moss and thus provide protection from the weather. The spider likes to hide in the leaf funnels of bromeliads for the same reason .

Import through banana fruits

Plantation of dessert banana ( Musa x paradisiaca ) in Costa Rica

Occasionally, the great wandering spider is imported to Europe and North America through the exported fruit of the dessert banana ( Musa × paradisiaca ). Like other species of the genus Cupiennius and the much more poisonous species of the genus Phoneutria from the family of comb spiders ( Ctenidae ), it is called the "banana spider". This is partly due to the fact that the banana fruits are exported as entire perennials and these offer the nocturnal spiders welcome retreats. The spiders hidden in the shrubs can thus be overlooked.

Threat and protection

The IUCN does not record the stocks of the great wandering spider . It can be found frequently in its habitat and is not endangered.

Way of life

Juvenile female

Like many spiders, the great wandering spider is nocturnal . While she lives withdrawn during the day, she becomes active from dusk and occasionally goes hiking. This behavior gives the spider its name. During the hike, the spider stretches a safety thread behind it. The ability to see is used to find a suitable shelter.

Catching prey

Like all species of the family and like most members of the superfamily , the great wandering spider is a stalker who hunts without a web. Potential prey animals are located by means of the senses of vision and vibration. The spider pauses in a suitable place and waits until a suitable prey animal comes within range. Then the spider rushes towards it and holds the prey with its front legs. Immediately afterwards or at the same time, the spider sinks its chelicerae (jaw chewing) into the prey and injects venom. In addition to other arthropods , the prey scheme also includes small vertebrates , such as smaller reptiles or frogs .

Reproduction

Young animal in the second skin

If a male ready to mate has found a female, it drums on the surface, rocks its opisthosoma (abdomen) and tries to touch the legs of the female. A female willing to mate also responds by rocking her opisthosoma and approaching the male. The courtship behavior can last for several hours. To attract males, the female releases pheromones . When mating, the male climbs on top of the female from behind and alternately guides his bulbi (male sexual organs) into the female's epigyne (female sexual organ). Some time after mating, the female becomes more voracious due to the increased need for nutritional values ​​and her opisthosoma swells as a result of the eggs maturing in it. After about three weeks, the female begins to spin an egg cocoon and lay about a hundred eggs in it. The egg cocoon is carried on the spinnerets similar to that of wolf spiders (Lycosidae) . In the event of a threat, a female with an egg cocoon first takes one of the various tarantula-like species or some spiders of the superfamily Lycosoidea (e.g. Brazilian wandering spider ( Phoneutria nigriventer )) similar threatening gestures, in which the first pair of legs and the pedipalps (converted extremities) are raised become. If the danger persists, it escapes. If there is a body of water within jumping distance, the female jumps into it with the attached cocoon and usually submerges for 30 to a maximum of 90 minutes. The young spiders hatch after a month of cocoon production, before the female weaves a web in which the egg cocoon is placed and in which the young animals stay for some time after hatching. The female repeats the behavior with further cocoons, usually two more times. The young spiders, around one to two millimeters in size, remain in the web for about a week before they become independent. However, food intake begins a little later. The spiders mature within eight to ten months, depending on the temperature and the food supply. Females of the great wandering spider achieve a lifespan of two years, that of males is shorter.

Great wandering spider and human

The great wandering spider is feared not least because of its alleged and now refuted relationship with dangerous representatives of the family of comb spiders, such as representatives of the genus Phoneutria (e.g. the Brazilian wandering spider ( P. nigriventer )). In turn, the species is very popular with other people, for example as a pet in terrariums (see chapter " Terraristics ").

The species as a research element

In science, the large wandering spider is a popular research element due to its robustness and diversity. So it will u. A. used for research in arachnology (spider science) as well as in other scientific fields.

Toxicity and bite accidents

The poison of the great wandering spider consists of different components, including nine neurotoxic peptides . These are so-called "CSTX" ( C upiennius s alei t o x ins), which can only be found in the venom of the great wandering spider . There are also eight other neurotoxological and cytolytic peptides that occur in all spiders of the genus Cupiennius . In addition, the poison contains a very effective hyaluronidase and some previously undescribed proteins.

For humans, the bite of the great wandering spider is harmless compared to the bite of the aforementioned Brazilian wandering spider. The effect of the bite is often compared to the effect of a bee sting, so symptoms such as pain, local swelling and numbness can occur in the area of ​​the bite wound, which subside after 30 minutes. Furthermore, just like other species of the genus, the great wandering spider is not very aggressive and often takes flight rather than attacking when disturbed. The spider can defend itself with one bite if it feels cornered.

Terrariums

The large wandering spider enjoys a certain popularity as a pet in the terrarium hobby and is kept as such occasionally. A positive aspect for many interested parties is the low level of danger (see chapter " Toxicity and bite accidents ") and its impressive appearance for spiders. However, one should be aware of the nature of their high agility, including running speed, and their nocturnal lifestyle before buying one or more copies. As with all rainforest inhabitants, the temperature and humidity of their natural habitat should be simulated as well as possible when keeping specimens of the great wandering spider .

Systematics

The large wandering spider was first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1877 as Ctenus salei . and then experienced more changes and renaming. It received its current scientific name Cupiennius salei under Mechthild Melchers in 1963 , which from then on gradually became the name of the species used throughout. The previously accepted but since 2015 by Daniele Polotow and Charles Edward Griswold doubtful affiliation of the genus Cupiennius with the great wandering spider to the family of comb spiders (Ctenidae) was refuted in 2019 by Luis Norberto Piacentini and Martín Javier Ramírez , instead the genus is now part of the family of Fishing spiders (Trechaleidae).

Due to its renaming, the large wandering spider now has several synonyms. These are:

  • Phoneutria oculifera Karsch , 1879
  • Ctenus oculatus Simon , 1891
  • Ctenus mordicus O. Pickard-Cambridge , 1892
  • Cupiennius sallei F. O. Pickard-Cambridge , 1901
  • Cupiennius ahrensi Schmidt , 1961
  • Ancylometes ahrensi Lucas , 1964

gallery

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c RS Vetter & S. Hillebrecht: Distinguishing Two Often-Misidentified Genera (Cupiennius, Phoneutria) (Araneae: Ctenidae) of Large Spiders Found in Central and South American Cargo Shipments , American Entomologist, Volume 54, Issue 2, 2008, Pp. 88–93, accessed March 6, 2020.
  2. ↑ a b c Friedrich G. Barth: Senses and behavior: from the life of a spider Springer-Verlag, 2002, pp. 8–396.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Francesco Tomasinelli: Cupiennius salei . The British Tarantula Society Journal, 15, 3, 2000, accessed April 18, 2019.
  4. ↑ a b c J. Czichos: Wandering spiders: Dive saves the brood on Wissenschaft aktuell, accessed on April 18, 2019.
  5. ↑ a b With the eyes of Cupiennius salei , accessed on April 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ a b c [1] in the WSC World Spider Catalog , accessed November 24, 2019.
  7. ↑ Banana spiders - and what's behind them on the Lower Saxony portal, accessed on March 31, 2020.
  8. ^ Cupiennius salei (Keyserling, 1877) on Global Biodiversity Information Facility , accessed on March 31, 2020.
  9. ↑ L. Kuhn-Nentwig, N. Langenegger, M. Heller, D. Koua and W. Nentwig: The Dual Prey-Inactivation Strategy of Spiders — In-Depth Venomic Analysis of Cupiennius salei , Toxins 2019, 11 (3), p . 167, accessed April 18, 2019.
  10. ↑ L. Kuhn-Nentwig, J. Schaller, W. Nentwig: Biochemistry, toxicology and ecology of the venom of the spider Cupiennius salei (Ctenidae). | Mini Toxicon, 43, 5, pp. 543-553, April 2004, accessed on April 18, 2019.
  11. ^ Cupiennius (Simon, 1890) in the WSC World Spider Catalog , accessed November 24, 2019.

literature

Web links

Commons : Large Wandering Spider  - Collection of images, videos and audio files