Next time you spot a spider in your bedroom, don’t get panic, as scientists say one of their species may actually help boost a man’s libido.
A single bite from the Brazilian wandering spider has been shown to have side-effects including four-hour long erections.
Now, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia in the US found that the toxins in the arachnid’s venom contains a possible breakthrough for erectile dysfunction, the Daily Mail reported.
The eight-legged creature — also known as the armed spider, banana spider or Phoneutria nigriventer — is found in South and Central America. Dr Kenia Nunes, a physiologist at the college, said: “The venom of the Phoneutria nigriventer spider is a very rich mixture of several molecules.”
“These molecules are called toxins, and then we have various toxins in this venom with different activity. Because of this, when a human is bitten by this spider, we can observe many different symptoms including priapism (or persistent erection).”
Other side-effects on top of the long-painful erections include loss of muscle control, severe pain, difficulty breathing and if its victim is not treated with anti-venom, could lead to death due to oxygen deprivation.
But the unusual effects of the venom could be used to treat sexual dysfunction in both men and women, said Dr Nunes.
In her study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Dr Nunes administered a doze of the spider venom to erection-challenged rats with high blood pressure.