Phoneutria depilata (depilated wandering spider) 0.75"

Species Overview

Phoneutria depilata, referred to here as the depilated wandering spider, is a large wandering spider native to Central America and northwestern South America. We coined this common name from the species epithet. Within the hobby, the species is frequently mislabeled and sold as Phoneutria fera and marketed under the geographically inaccurate common name “Brazilian wandering spider.” Broader labels such as Central American wandering spider, Panama wandering spider, and banana spider are also applied to this species, but none is specific to it; we therefore use depilated wandering spider as the primary common name.

Mature specimens and larger juveniles range from yellowish-brown and warm reddish-brown to darker gray-brown, with a narrow black longitudinal line extending along the carapace. The abdomen is mottled yellow-brown to dark brown and may display paired pale spots or broken longitudinal markings, while the long legs are variably mottled or banded. Mature males are smaller-bodied and proportionally longer-legged than females. The front-facing portions of the chelicerae generally match the spider’s surrounding coloration, while their undersides are dark brown to black. Pale tan to copper-colored setae line the lower and inner surfaces, but the species lacks the conspicuous red cheliceral covering seen in P. nigriventer. The ventral abdomen bears a distinctive dark brown central field containing four broken longitudinal series of cream-to-pale yellow spots that may merge into short, elongated bars. Ventral abdominal patterning is among the most useful external features for distinguishing species within Phoneutria, although reliable identification should consider this pattern together with the complete morphology and geographic origin.

In captivity, P. depilata is primarily nocturnal and readily uses both ground-level and elevated positions. Individuals often rest in narrow, dark retreats during the day before emerging to hunt at night. It does not construct a prey-capture web, although it deposits silk while moving and may wrap captured prey before securing it to the substrate. When disturbed, an individual may retreat rapidly or assume the characteristic Phoneutria defensive posture by raising the anterior legs, exposing the chelicerae and fangs, and moving laterally. The species is fast, can strike when confined, and possesses medically significant venom. Documented bites have caused intense pain, swelling, and systemic effects, with severe envenomation reported in at least one published case. Any suspected bite requires immediate emergency medical evaluation.

• Common Name: Depilated wandering spider
• Native Range: Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador
• Life Habit: Terrestrial/semi-arboreal wandering hunter
• Adult Size: 4–5.5 inches in diagonal leg span
• Lifespan: Males 1–2 years; females 2–3+ years under optimal conditions
• Temperament: Fast and readily defensive when confined or disturbed
• Care Difficulty: Easy to moderate; strict containment and cautious maintenance required due to medically significant venom

Phoneutria depilata Care

Phoneutria depilata adapts well to captivity when maintained in a secure, well-ventilated enclosure that provides sufficient floor space, usable height, retreats at multiple levels, and a stable moisture gradient. The setup should never be allowed to dry completely, as small spiderlings and recently molted individuals appear especially susceptible to desiccation. Although its environmental requirements are straightforward, its speed, defensive behavior, and medically significant venom require careful containment and deliberate maintenance practices. Long tools should be used during all maintenance and rehousing, and a secure catch cup should be kept within immediate reach. Whenever possible, these procedures should be performed inside a larger secondary container that can hold the spider if it escapes the primary enclosure.

• Enclosure: 7-dram vial or equivalent for spiderlings, upgraded as needed with growth; 12” cube or larger for adults. Use a tightly locking lid and ensure ventilation openings are small enough to prevent escape.
• Substrate: Coconut fiber, peat moss, topsoil, or a similar moisture-retentive substrate; add leaf litter, curved or vertically oriented cork bark, branches, broad-leaved live or artificial plants, and overlapping décor that creates narrow retreats both near the substrate and in elevated positions.
• Temperature: 72–82°F.
• Humidity: Maintain moderate to high humidity with a moisture gradient by keeping approximately 50% of the substrate moist while allowing the remainder to stay comparatively drier. Never allow the entire setup to dry out. Small spiderlings and recently molted individuals should be monitored especially closely because they appear particularly susceptible to desiccation. Provide enough cross-ventilation to prevent stagnant conditions without allowing the enclosure to dry rapidly, and never keep the substrate saturated or waterlogged.
• Diet: Fruit flies, crickets, cockroaches, and other appropriately sized feeder insects.
• Feeding: Spiderlings can be offered appropriately sized prey once or twice weekly. Juveniles and adults are typically fed every 7–14 days, with feeding frequency adjusted based on prey size, growth rate, and the condition of the individual animal.
• Water: Regularly apply droplets to the side of the enclosure for small spiderlings, keeping drinking water available without excessively saturating the setup. Small spiderling containers can dry rapidly and should be checked frequently, particularly during and shortly after a molt. Larger specimens should have access to a water dish.
• Routine Maintenance: Remove uneaten prey, monitor moisture levels, and spot-clean when necessary.

Natural History

Phoneutria depilata was described in 1909 but was later treated as a synonym of Phoneutria boliviensis. In 2021, an integrative study using morphology, molecular evidence, distribution data, and ecological modeling revalidated P. depilata as a distinct species. Many older publications concerning Central American and trans-Andean Colombian populations under the name P. boliviensis therefore refer to P. depilata. True P. boliviensis is an Amazonian species occurring east of the Andes, whereas P. depilata occupies the trans-Andean region west of the mountain range and extends northward through Central America.

Under the current taxonomy, P. depilata occurs from Guatemala south through Central America into trans-Andean Colombia and Ecuador, from sea level to approximately 1,700 meters. It inhabits both humid and seasonally dry tropical environments and shows considerable tolerance for disturbed habitats. Field studies indicate flexible microhabitat use rather than a strictly terrestrial habit. In Colombia, most observed individuals were on the ground among sparse leaf litter, while others were on low vegetation. Research on Costa Rican populations—published under the name P. boliviensis before the revalidation of P. depilata—instead found these spiders strongly associated with vegetation within and around treeless swamp habitat. Taken together, these observations support a terrestrial/semi-arboreal classification: the species is not an arboreal canopy specialist, but it routinely uses elevated vegetation and retreats. During the day, individuals may shelter within vegetation, beneath fallen material, among building debris, and around banana plantations or human structures. This adaptability brings the species into contact with people more often than many strictly forest-dependent spiders.

Within the invertebrate hobby, a separate identification problem persists: P. depilata is frequently labeled and sold as P. fera. True P. fera is a separate Amazonian species distributed through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, and Guyana, and its name should not be applied to Central American or trans-Andean P. depilata. The common name “Brazilian wandering spider” is equally inappropriate for P. depilata, which is not known from Brazil.