Medical Importance Of Introduced Spiders

Spiders which arrive with fruits from other continents are a challenge for pest management and for super markets in Central Europe. A survey is presented on spiders which were sent to the author for identification beginning 2012 through to 2019. All specimens arrived from supermarkets. 37 specimens of eight exotic species (mainly Latin America), 1 Mediterranean and 13 specimens of 4 Central European species of spiders were collected from fruit displays in supermarkets. Most exotic species belong to the huntsman or giant crab spiders (Sparassidae), which rarely harm people. Armed spiders which all belonged to the species Phoneutria boliviensis (Cambridge, 1897) and are of medical importance due to their venom were submitted 5 times from banana displays. Three young specimens of tarantulas (Theraphosidae) were detected 2016 and 2019 in banana boxes. Nearly 28% of the spiders which were found in supermarkets on fruit displays belong to the European fauna e.g. the Central European house spider Eratigena atrica Koch, 1843 which is harmless to people. Nearly all of the introduced species are active hunters which may cover large distances and also hide during daytime in buildings at least during the colder periods.