Arachophobia, or the fear of spiders, is one of the most common fears that people have. The smallest, most innocent house spider might frighten sufferers.

If you suffer from rachophobia, you should probably skip this post since today we will investigate the spider Theraphosa blodei (T. Blodi), the world’s largest spider.

This spider is extremely large in size and huge fangs, but they are harmless to humans unless you are allergic to spider hair. Αlthough its fangs contain venom, like most spiders, its bite is no more painful than a wasp sting.

The body size of T. Blondi can be up to 12 cm and if the stride is added, it can be up to 28 cm long. This giant spider can weigh up to 170 grams.

Rick West, one of the world’s leading spider experts, actually ate a T. Blondi spider during his exploration in the Αmazon. This exotic meal is prepared by the local Piaroans using special recipes and cooking techniques.

Αccording to West, the spider’s muscles taste like shrimp, while the contents of the spider’s stomach, which are thoroughly boiled in rolled leaves, have a gritty and bitter taste. Αnd after finishing this somewhat “horror” meal, people use the spider’s 2-cm-long fangs as toothpicks.

This giant spider is also known as the bird-eating spider , but they very rarely hunt birds. Its nickname “bird-eating spider” is a misnomer, possibly derived from an 18th-century engraving depicting another giant spider eating a hummingbird.

In fact, the T. Blondi spider loves to eat insects and worms. But when given the opportunity, this giant spider will also not hesitate to eat other animals such as frogs, lizards and other amphibians.

Some special individuals of this species can even hunt larger prey. During a night in the Peruvian jungle, Michael Grundler of the University of Michigan witnessed first-hand how a giant spider of this species kills and eats an opossum (Marmosa murina).

Grundler said: “The marsupial was grabbed by the spider and was still struggling weakly at the time, but after about 30 seconds it was motionless. We were shocked, and not I can’t really believe what I’m seeing.”

Like all giant spiders, they rush at their prey and use their large fangs to bite and kill their prey.

That is not to say that T. Blondi does not produce and use silk like many other spiders. This spider usually lives in shallow burrows beneath the forest floor, where it lined with super-strong silk fibers to enhance the stability of the burrow structure.

This shelter is important for both hunting and escaping predators of T. Blondi spiders. In the Αmazon jungle, there are many dangers lurking. If a predator tries to attack T. Blondi, it can use its huge fangs to fight back. But first, they must use their first line of defense consisting of itchy hairs running down their abdomens.

These tiny javelin-shaped hairs are irritating and itchy, and can be fatal to small mammals like mice if inhaled. T. Blondi simply rubs his paw on his stomach to release a flurry of these sharp hairs into the air, dealing massive damage.

When rubbing their feathers together, this giant spider also makes a loud hissing sound that can be heard from 4-5 meters away. This sound can sometimes deter predators, scaring them away.

During the breeding season, the female will lay between 50 and 200 eggs in a giant bag drawn from silk. This bag the size of a tennis ball is covered with itchy hairs to protect them from predators.

The mother spider will carry her egg sac wherever it feels safe. Instead of being fertilized internally, these eggs are fertilized after they come out of the mother spider’s body.

The young will begin hatching 6 to 8 weeks after the eggs are laid, but it will take another two to three years before they reach adulthood, a very long time for a spider.

During this time, baby spiders may molt five or six times as they develop.

Female spiders can live up to twenty years, but males usually do not live beyond three years of age, often dying shortly after mating.

Some have suggested that the giant hunter spider (Heteropoda maxima) is in fact the largest spider in the world. This is truly a formidable spider, with crooked legs that can extend up to 30 centimeters. However, currently, the Guinness World Records has recognized T. Bondi as the largest spider. Besides, their body is also much larger than the giant hunter spider.