Cupiennius salei

Cupiennius salei, commonly called the tiger wandering spider, is a large spider belonging to a group of wandering spiders found in Central America (also one of many diverse types that mistakenly get called banana spiders[1]), although this species is specifically from Eastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. The species was accidentally introduced into Germany[citation needed] in the early 20th century from banana plantations in Central America. In the mid-1950s it was realised that the spider is an ideal model for biological research because of its large size, inactive behaviour, and ease of breeding in laboratories. From an initial 1963 publication on its biological characteristics, it has become the most studied species of spider.[2][3] Furthermore, the spider is now known to produce a complex neurotoxic venom, such as cupiennins and CSTX, of which a peptide called CsTx-1 is highly potent for paralysing its prey.[4][5] Its toxin has also become one of the most studied among those of venomous spiders. As the spider does not produce a web for trapping prey, being venomous is its primary strategy for prey capture. It is known to prey on a wide range of insects and small vertebrates.