Wandering spiders Temporal range: Neogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Phoneutria nigriventer
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Ctenidae Keyserling, 1877
Diversity
49 genera, 533 species

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.^[1] They are highly defensive^[2] and venomous nocturnal hunters. Wandering spiders are known to hunt large prey, for example hylid species Dendropsophus branneri.^[3] 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,^[4] so all larger ctenids should be treated with caution.

General

Main article: List of Ctenidae species

As of July 2021^[update], the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera:^[5]

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
Ancylometes Bertkau, 1880 — South America, Honduras
Apolania Simon, 1898 — Seychelles
Arctenus Polotow & Jocqué, 2014 — Kenya
Asthenoctenus Simon, 1897 — South America
Bengalla Gray & Thompson, 2001 — Australia
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 — 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
Enoploctenus Simon, 1897 — South America, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Gephyroctenus Mello-Leitão, 1936 — Brazil, Peru
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
Mahafalytenus Silva-Dávila, 2007 — Madagascar
Montescueia Carcavallo & Martínez, 1961 — Argentina
Nimbanahita Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 — Guinea
Nothroctenus Badcock, 1932 — Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
Ohvida Polotow & Brescovit, 2009 — Cuba
Parabatinga Polotow & Brescovit, 2009 — South America
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