tarantula

A very large, hairy spider, considered highly venomous and often greatly feared; the bite, however, is usually no more harmful than a bee sting, and the creature is relatively inoffensive. See tarantism.

- American t. Eurypelma hentzii, the Arkansas t.; although greatly feared, its bite is relatively uncommon and harmless to humans.

- black t. Sericopelma communis, a large black t. of Panama and the Canal Zone, whose bite is poisonous, although the effect is localized.

- European t. Lycosa tarentula, the large European wolf spider or true t. Its bite was once believed to cause madness, which inspired frenzied contortions and dancing to rid the body of the venom, though the bite is, in fact, harmless, as is that of most of the large, hairy “t. spiders” of the tropics.

- Peruvian t. pruning spider, Glyptocranium gasteracanthoides, a poisonous Peruvian spider whose bite causes local gangrene, hematuria, and neurotoxic symptoms.

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ta·ran·tu·la tə-'ranch-(ə-)lə, -'rant-əl-ə n, pl -las also -lae -'ran-chə-.lē, -'rant-əl-.ē

1) a European spider (Lycosa tarentula of the family Lycosidae) popularly held to be the cause of tarantism

2) any of a family (Theraphosidae) of large hairy American spiders that are typically rather sluggish and capable of biting sharply though most forms are not significantly poisonous to humans

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ta·ran·tu·la (tə-ranґtu-lə) 1. any of numerous large venomous spiders whose bite causes local inflammation and pain. 2. European t.