Supermarket closes over fears of spider whose bite can cause hours-long erections

This type of spider often hides in bunches of bananas.

A supermarket had to be evacuated after a banana-loving spider capable of causing men to get hours-long erections was reportedly spotted. This occurred after a store manager at The Penny shop in the Austrian town of Krems an der Donau saw a creepy crawly on Tuesday (8 August). Emergency services were subsequently called to the store, 45 miles west of Vienna, and warned that the intruder could be a Brazilian Wandering Spider due to its size and colouring. The four-inch black and red arachnid is known to reach Europe by hiding in bunches of bananas. Infamous for being one of the planet’s most venomous spiders, its bites can be fatal after causing hypothermia, blurred vision, convulsions and, in some cases, erections. The Daily Mail has noted that the spider’s venom is being studied for use in erectile dysfunction treatments after it was found that a bite can give male victims a painful four-hour erection.

A Brazilian Wandering Spider

Banana crates in the store have since been sealed while an exterminator was also called. However, reports are suggesting that the shop may stay closed into next week. The Daily Mail quoted a spokesman for the Rewe retail group as saying that “comprehensive cleaning and disinfection measures” are being undertaken ahead of the store reopening. Despite extensive searches, no spiders have been found at the location. Around 4,000 people are bitten by the Wandering Spider each year, with 0.5% of bites resulting in death. The spider type is listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most venomous arachnid. Its scientific name, Phoneutria, is Greek for “murderess”. The arachnids are known as wandering spiders because they do not build webs but instead patrol the jungle floor at night for victims.

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