A lot of people are frightened by spiders. We even have a nursery rhyme perpetuating this fear:

“Little Miss Muffet, Sat on a tuffet, Eating her curds and whey;

Along came a spider, and sat down beside her, and frightened little Miss Muffet away.”

(Personally, I imagine it would have been the curds that would have frightened me away, but I digress.)

Most spiders are more or less harmless to humans. Even if they bite, their fangs are so tiny and the level of venom is so sparse, that serious medical events are highly unlikely.

However, there are certain spiders that are truly dangerous. Here, in reverse order, are my picks for the four most dangerous spiders out there (and no, the fearsome Wolf Spider did not make the cut).

Number 4 on the list: Brown Recluse spider (or Loxosceles reclusa). I used to believe this spider just might be the number one most dangerous spider. I believed that because I have seen photos of what it can do to a person unfortunate enough to be bitten by one. The results are truly gruesome, positively horrific. The location of the bite by a Brown Recluse spider eventually looks as if the victim has an abominable case of leprosy. The skin is discolored, disfigured, and putrefied. It’s truly frightening. Also, unlike the next three spiders I will describe, there is at present no known antidote, no medical treatment to counteract the horrific appearance of one’s festering, rotting flesh. (You can see the horror show by doing a Goggle search for Images with the search terms “Brown Recluse Spider Bite” but don’t blame me if you need therapy after seeing what you will find shocking.) Thus, the major difference between the Brown Recluse and the other dangerous spiders I will describe is that the Brown Recluse injects an unusual type of venom classified as Cytotoxic. Cytotoxic venom attacks the tissue of the victim, not the nervous system. This type of venom breaks down cell membranes and causes necrosis, or tissue death. You may have to get skin grafts following a bite by a Brown Recluse. And while fatalities from such a bite do occur in children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions, most healthy human beings do not die from such a bite, but it’s still a horror show!

Number 3 on the list: The Widow Spiders (genus Latrodectus). These include the familiar Black Widow, but they also include the Argentine Widow (also called the South American Widow) which is found in Argentina, Brazil and Columbia. Though somewhat smaller than the typical Black Widow, their bite packs a punch! In Europe and North Africa we find the Mediterranean Widow, which is also found in the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. They don’t have the red hourglass marking the Black Widow has, but they do often have 13 distinct red spots on their dark body. Don’t get bitten by one of these nasties or you will really regret it. In Africa, there is the Red-Backed Widow (sometimes referred to as the Button Spider). They are found in Sub-Saharan Africa and often have either red or white markings on their dorsal side. And in Australia, where so many venomous things are found, dwells the Redback Spider which has a red dorsal stripe on the female’s back. There is also a Brown Widow which is a light brown color with an orange hourglass. These are slightly less venomous than the Black Widow. And in both Asia and the Middle East, there is what is called the Middle Eastern Widow, found in Israel, Jordan, and that general area. Adapted to desert life, these spiders also pack a punch, and have a venom that is not cytotoxic as we saw with the Brown Recluse spider; the venom of the widow spiders is neurotoxic. It doesn’t destroy the skin. It brings intense pain and muscle cramping. You will truly be sick – very sick – if bitten by a widow spider. It’s no picnic. But again, as with the Brown Recluse, fatalities are usually found in children, the elderly, and those with other pre-existing health problems.

Number 2 on the list: the Brazilian Wandering Spider. If this spider bites you, it could, potentially, be more lethal than that of a bite from a widow spider. The poison it injects is known as Phoneutria Nigriventer venom, which, pound for pound, is more lethal than the venom of the black widow, which is known as Latrodectus Mactans. However, some experts would argue that we should be more wary of Black Widows than Brazilian Wandering spiders because the former are in closer proximity to humans and thus bite more often. Be aware, however, that the Brazilian Wandering spider is huge – significantly larger than the Black Widow. The length of the body alone of the Brazilian Wandering spider, not counting leg spread, is about 2 inches. The body of the Black Widow is about a half inch. The leg span of the Brazilian Wandering spider is around 6 or 7 inches! It’s enormous! The Black Widow leg span is 2 inches max. There’s no comparison in size. Also, there is a big behavioral difference between the two: Brazilian Wandering spiders are agile hunters that actively roam the forest floor at night – hence the name wandering spider. Black Widows are web-bound. They stay on or near their webs, as they are ambush predators.

And now we come to Number 1: The Sydney Funnel-Web Spider. Actually, there are several different types of Funnel-Web spiders found all over the world. The most dangerous are found in Australia, but the largest number of species of Funnel-Web spiders (over 1,000 different species) is located in North America, Europe, and Asia, with others found in South America, and there even is a species of Funnel-Web tarantulas found in Central and South America, parts of Asia, and even in Africa.

But the specific specie that wins the crown for the deadliest spider on earth is the Sydney Funnel-Web spider, also known as Atrax Robustus. Even its taxonomy label sounds frightening! The venom from this spider is beyond comprehension. As you can see from the accompanying photo, this spider sizes you up, sees that you are many times larger than it, and it still thinks it can take you! And it’s right. Sure, you could smash it if you stepped on it with rugged boots, but you better not miss, because if it runs up your boot and then up your leg, you’re toast! Let me give it to you straight: should you ever get bitten by this spider, stop whatever it is you are doing and get to a hospital – and call them en route to tell them what happened so they can be prepared with the anti-venom as soon as you walk through their doors. You will feel awful, horrific effects somewhere within 15 to 60 minutes. In fact, let me put it another way: if a baby, infant, toddler, child or an elderly person is bitten, you immediately get the victim in the car, probably don’t even take the time to buckle them in, drive like a bat out of hell, don’t stop even when the police start chasing you with sirens blaring, and be sure to call the hospital in advance to tell them the situation so that you do not go through the normal check-in process when you arrive. That baby or infant or toddler may only have 15 minutes to get medical attention before they go into shock and die. The venom is that powerful. Assume death is imminent.

Now you know. . .