Ten Dangerous Spiders Trivia Quiz

Answer: Brazilian wandering

Fast and aggressive, the long-legged BRAZILIAN WANDERING (Phoneutria nigriventer) was responsible for over 7000 human attacks over a ten-year period from 1970-80. Because of the existence of an antivenom, deaths are very rare. A medium-to-large critter, it is affectionately (!?) referred to as the "banana spider" because of its preference for crawling among banana clusters.

The ENVIA GARCIAI is a small, yellowish spider found in Brazil, South America.

The CARRAI CAVE (Progradungula carraiensis) is a small long-legged spider found only in the forests and caves of the Carrai Plateau, New South Wales.

The YELLOW SAC (Cheiracanthium inclusum or mildei) is a small house spider often found in homes throughout the American continent. Possessing a mild toxin, it is commonly believed to be responsible for the majority of nuisance bites to humans.

In April, 2005 in the U.K., B.B.C. News reported that chef Matthew Stevens was bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider, hidden in a box of bananas delivered to the Quantock Gateway pub in Bridgwater, Somerset. Stevens took a picture of the spider and showed it to hospital doctors, who were able to administer an antivenom. He recovered in one week. (The spider was accidentally released later!)

Recent research by Brazilian and U.S. scientists has revealed that some South American men, bitten by the wandering spider, experienced symptoms similar to the effects of viagra. Apparently after been bitten, the men experienced painful, lasting erections. The scientists suspect that the toxin "Tx2-6", found in the spider's venom, is responsible. This side effect has enabled South American medical staff to "visually" determine whether the victim came into contact with a Brazilian wandering. Any man wishing to test the veracity of this theory is welcome to sleep in a banana field overnight...

Answer: Sydney funnel web

The habitat range of the SYDNEY FUNNEL WEB (Atrax robustus) is about 150 kilometres from the centre of Sydney, Australia, hence the name. It is an above-average sized spider with a dark-brown or black colouration. To bite its victim, the funnel web spider arches back then lunges forward in a downward motion, penetrating its victim's flesh and releasing toxin. Until 1980, when an antivenom was produced, there were 13 reported deaths from the bites of funnel web spiders.
Very young children are the most vulnerable. If left untreated, the venom of a funnel web spider bite can kill a youngster in less than half-an-hour. Symptoms include nausea, muscle spasms, numbness, vomiting, difficult breathing, and heart rate increase.

The TASMANIAN CAVE (Hickmania troglodytes) is a medium-sized spider commonly found in cave entrances and drainage systems throughout Tasmania.

The MULLAMULLANG CAVE (Tartarus mullamullangensis) is a large, blind, creamy-white spider found in the cave systems of Western Australia.

Answer: Black widow

The bite of a BLACK WIDOW (Latrodectus mactans) can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and hypertension. An antivenom for the black widow bite was developed in 1956. Black widow spiders are often found in garages, woodpiles, and other outdoor (cluttered) locations. Commonly found throughout North America and Canada, it is a close relative of the Australian redback spider.

The BLACK WISHBONE (Aname atra) is a large, black, burrow spider found in South Australia. Possessing dangerous fangs, this species becomes aggressive when provoked.

The BLACK RUGOSE trapdoor (Idiosoma nigrum) is a medium-sized, burrowing spider found in Southwestern Australia.

The BLACK-FOOTED is also known as the yellow sac spider (question no.1).

Answer: Brown recluse

The BROWN RECLUSE (Loxosceles reclusa) is a small-to-medium spider commonly identified by a violin-shaped mark on its back. The venom of this creature can cause significant surface tissue damage if not treated soon after. The brown recluse is be found in most parts of the U.S. Midwest and southern states. The U.S. state of Hawaii, in the North Pacific, is home to a close relative, the BROWN VIOLIN spider.

The RED LEGGED PURSEWEB (Sphodros rufipes) is an endangered, medium-sized spider found in southern parts of the U.S..

The AVONDALE (Delena cancerides) is a large ground-dwelling huntsman spider originally found in Australia and imported into Avondale, New Zealand, hence the name.

The GOLDENROD (Misumena vatia) is a small species of true crab spider commonly found on flowers such as daisies, sunflowers, and goldenrods. It is found worldwide.

Answer: Wolf

Varying from one to three centimetres in length, the WOLF (Lycosidae family) is a burrow-dweller and often hunts at nighttime. It is typically agile and determined in hunting down its prey. Although not overly hostile to humans, it will bite if provoked. Luckily, the venom is not lethal but can produce swelling, itching and pain. Scientists investigating the wolf spider have noted that when a spotlight is shone on the creature, its eyes tend to glow a "greenish" colour. The wolf spider's range extends worldwide. It is adaptable to meadows, forests, and many other types of woodland.

The GREEN LYNX (Peucetia viridans) is a large, green-coloured spider commonly found in garden and wooded areas of North America.

The YELLOW GHOST (Hibana velox) is a small spider commonly found in homes across North America.

The ZEBRA (Salticus scenicus) is a small jumping spider that goes after and "jumps on" its prey, instead of building a web. This spider has a worldwide distribution.

Answer: Australian red-back

The AUSTRALIAN RED-BACK (Latrodectus hasselti) is a small spider commonly identified by a solid red stripe on its back, although the red mark is not always present. The venom from a bite by the female red-back attacks the nervous system, causing nausea, headaches, and sometimes paralysis. An antivenom was developed in 1956.
The red-back's unique mating ritual almost always results in death for the male. To attract the female's attention, the male displays himself as a helpless, irresistable "snack" by baring his abdomen. While the female is busy squirting "digestive juices" onto the male's abdomen with the intent of making a meal out of him, he goes about "his business". By the time the male has deposited his full count of "little boys", he is "done like dinner" and ready for consumption.
Good news: The male gets "lucky" before a nice meal.
Bad news: He is the meal.
Now that's an intense first date!
The Australian redback spider is a close relative of the black widow spider.

The FOLIAGE WEBBING (Phryganoporus candidus) is a small nest-building spider very common throughout Australia.

Answer: Hobo

The HOBO (Tegenaria agrestis) is a small-to-medium sized spider, accidentally introduced to North America from Europe in the early 1900's via commercial shipping. It is commonly found in areas such as Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Washington, and Southern Canada. Although the bite of the hobo spider is painless at first, redness, blistering, and ulceration of the wound occurs within the next 24 hours. If not treated quickly, the venom can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and vision impairment. Biting incidents by hobo spiders are often confused with those by brown recluse spiders.

The TWO-EYED ORANGE (Diploglena capensis) is a spider found only in South Africa and a few neighbouring countries.

The TWO-TAILED (Hersilia species) is a small spider found mostly in tree trunks throughout Africa, Asia, and Australia.

The GOLDEN ORB-WEB (Nephila clavipes) is a medium-to-large spider commonly found in the warmer areas of the American continent. Also known as the "banana spider" due to the colour of its web, it is not to be confused with the very dangerous Brazilian wandering "banana" spider of South America.

Answer: Mouse

The MOUSE (Missulena genus) is a medium-to-large ground spider that roams its territory during the daytime. While the female is totally black and slightly larger than the male, it is the fanged male that will attack if provoked. There are currently eleven known species of the mouse spider, ten in Australia and one in Chile, South America.

The TOOTH CAVE (Neoleptoneta myopica) is a tiny, cream-coloured, endangered spider found only in caves in the U.S. state of Texas.

The BLACKTAILED RED SHEETWEAVER (Florinda coccinea) is a very tiny red spider commonly found in North America.

The WHITE-TAILED (Lampona species) is a medium-sized spider of Southeast Australia that is responsible for a high percentage of human bites. Unlike web-based spiders, the white-tailed spider prefers to wander in and around homes, occupying clothing, shoes, and miscellaneous household textiles.

Answer: Chinese bird

The CHINESE BIRD (Haplopelma species) is a large fearsome spider commonly found in the tropical rainforests of China and Vietnam. Although the spider prefers insects and small rodents, this extremely aggressive species will not hesitate to bite a human being. "Haplopelma minax", a huge jet-black Asian spider, has been documented as attacking humans without provocation. A small dose of the spider's toxin, which attacks the nervous system, has been proved fatal in laboratory rats and mice. A typical bird spider's foot span can reach up to 20 centimetres, about 8 inches.

The KIMURA-GUMO (Heptathela kimurai) is a harmless segmented spider found in burrows throughout Japan.

The SPRUCE-FIR MOSS (Microhexura montivaga) is an endangered funnel web tarantula indigenous to the U.S. Appalachian Mountains. Unlike the Sydney funnel web, it is not toxic.

LADYBIRDS are small black-and-red spiders commonly found throughout eastern Europe and Asia.

Answer: Crab

The six-eyed CRAB (Sicarius hahni) is a very small spider also known as the "sand" or "assassin" spider. Although this desert dweller is relatively shy and unlikely to bite a human, its poison is considered fatal as there is currently no antivenom, hence the title of "most deadly" instead of "most dangerous". Named after arachnologist Carl Wilhelm Hahn, the crab spider possesses a toxin that causes multiple organ failures. The Latin term "Sicarius hahni" translates into "Hahn's assassin". Not to be confused with true "crab" spiders of the family "Thomisidae", which are harmless, the "Sicarius" spiders are related to the dangerous "recluse" species. Because both the deadly and harmless varieties resemble small crabs in stance and locomotion, they are referred to as "crab spiders".

The TUBE WEB (Segestria florentina), also called the cellar spider, is the biggest tube-dwelling spider in Europe. It is mostly found in the U.K. and countries surrounding the Meditteranean Sea.

The RUFOUS NET-CASTING (Deinopis subrufa) is a medium-sized, long-legged spider found in Tasmania and South Australia. It is not harmful.

The CLUBIONA TRIVIALIS (!) is a small reddish-brown spider that thrives on vegetation and is found in countries of the northern hemisphere.
Aptly named, this spider is hereby nominated as the official F.T. mascot.

My nominees for the three most dangerous:
- The Australian red-back (Australia)
- The Brazilian wandering (South America)
- The Chinese bird (Asia)
Honourable mention - The Sydney funnel web (Australia).

My nominee for the tastiest: barbecued taran...just kidding! LOL.

Although the venom from spider bites may be harmful and even fatal, incidents are very rare. Spiders in general do not attack humans and will only react if provoked. Unfortunately, their bizarre appearance and "Hollywood" reputation have done little to enhance their positive side. The web-weaving varieties of spiders provide a beneficial service by trapping disease-carrying insects. In addition, scientists are retrieving the various unique venoms to determine the possible benefits to human physiology and therapy.

On a worldwide basis, Australia and New Zealand appear to be home to more dangerous species of spiders than anywhere else. The courage of their citizens is admirable.

"Banana", "wolf", "hobo", "mouse", "crab". Innocuous names for spiders that should be treated with utmost caution.

This quiz is dedicated to my two children, Rebecca and Benjamin.

Thank you for playing my seventeenth quiz creation...what's this crawling up my back?