Wandering spiders (Ctenidae) are a family of spiders that includes the Brazilian wandering spiders. These spiders have a distinctive longitudinal groove on the top-rear of their oval carapace similar to those of the Amaurobiidae.
They are highly defensive and venomous nocturnal hunters. Wandering spiders are known to hunt large prey, for example hylid species Dendropsophus branneri. Despite their notoriety for being dangerous, only a few members of Phoneutria have venom known to be hazardous to humans, but the venoms of this family are poorly known, so all larger ctenids should be treated with caution.
Genera
, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera:
Acantheis Thorell, 1891 – Asia Acanthoctenus Keyserling, 1877 – South America, Central America, Jamaica, Mexico Africactenus Hyatt, 1954 – Africa, India Afroneutria Polotow & Jocqué, 2015 – Africa Amauropelma Raven, Stumkat & Gray, 2001 – Asia, Australia Amicactenus Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 – Africa Anahita Karsch, 1879 – Africa, Asia, United States Apolania Simon, 1898 – Seychelles Arctenus Polotow & Jocqué, 2014 – Kenya Asthenoctenus Simon, 1897 – South America Bengalla Gray & Thompson, 2001 – Australia Bowie Jäger, 2022 Bulboctenus Pereira, Labarque & Polotow, 2020 – Brazil Califorctenus Jiménez, Berrian, Polotow & Palacios-Cardiel, 2017 Caloctenus Keyserling, 1877 – Ethiopia, South America Celaetycheus Simon, 1897 – Brazil Centroctenus Mello-Leitão, 1929, including Parabatinga Polotow & Brescovit, 2009 – South America Chococtenus Dupérré, 2015 – Ecuador, Colombia Ciba Bloom, Binford, Esposito, Alayón, Peterson, Nishida, Loubet-Senear & Agnarsson, 2014 – Cuba, Dominican Republic Ctenus Walckenaer, 1805 – Africa, South America, Oceania, Central America, Asia, North America, Caribbean Diallomus Simon, 1897 – Sri Lanka Eldivo Hazzi & Hormiga, 2024 Enoploctenus Simon, 1897 – South America, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Gephyroctenus Mello-Leitão, 1936 – Brazil, Peru Guasuctenus Polotow & Brescovit, 2019 Isoctenus Bertkau, 1880 – Brazil, Argentina Janusia Gray, 1973 – Australia Kiekie Polotow & Brescovit, 2018 – Colombia, Central America, Mexico Leptoctenus L. Koch, 1878 – Australia, North America, Panama Macroctenus Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 – Guinea Montescueia Carcavallo & Martínez, 1961 – Argentina Nimbanahita Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 – Guinea Nothroctenus Badcock, 1932 – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay Ohvida Polotow & Brescovit, 2009 – Cuba Perictenus Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 – Guinea Petaloctenus Jocqué & Steyn, 1997 – Africa Phoneutria Perty, 1833 – South America Phymatoctenus Simon, 1897 – Brazil, Guyana, Costa Rica Piloctenus Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 – Guinea, Togo, Ivory Coast Sinoctenus Marusik, Zhang & Omelko, 2012 Spinoctenus Hazzi, Polotow, Brescovit, González-Obando & Simó, 2018 Thoriosa Simon, 1910 – São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea Toca Polotow & Brescovit, 2009 – Brazil Trogloctenus Lessert, 1935 – Congo Trujillina Bryant, 1948 – Caribbean Tuticanus Simon, 1897 – Ecuador, Peru Viracucha Lehtinen, 1967 – South America Wiedenmeyeria Schenkel, 1953 – Venezuela
Formerly placed in this family: Mahafalytenus Silva-Dávila, 2007; now in Viridasiidae
References
External links