This is the "six-eyed sand spider" (Sicarius) of Africa and less so, South America. A medium-sized spider that lives in dry climates where it buries itself in sand and waits for prey, so it is unlikely to come into contact with humans. It is lightning fast and somewhat intimidating. It shares a family of spiders with the notorious brown recluses, and has a similar necrotoxic venom that destroys living tissue. Contrast that with dangerous neurotoxic spiders (funnel web, wandering spider, widows), which interfere with the nervous system. And like the recluses, it is shy and would prefer to run away and bury itself again rather than bite, and does seem to have a somewhat gentle temperament.
However, should you receive a bite from this spider, you are in severe trouble. There have only been two documented bites from this spider - one produced a fatality, and the other a lost limb. That's a 100% morbidity rate on record. This is not, "oh geez, I got bit by a recluse but it's usually just an open sore that heals up no problem", or "oh man, I got bit by a black widow but I'll just be in for a pretty bad flu-like experience". This isn't even "oh sh*t, I got bit by a wanderer or a funnelweb, I need some antivenom or I'm in for a world of hurt". So?
This is "JESUS F*CKING CHRIST I'M GONNA DIE!!".
The toxic compound in Sicariidae spiders is known as Sphingomyelinase D, which acts to dissolve tissues and is responsible for some of the more grotesque recluse bites, but this enzyme is at least 10x more concentrated in Sicarius venom; a bite from this spider has been described as "accelerated leprosy combined with Ebola". Not only does it produce enormous wounds, but the venom leaks into the blood stream and causes devastating systemic effects, including renal failure and destruction of blood vessel walls. It's like having a stroke, a heart attack, and a multiple aneurysms all at the same time. There is no antivenom.
Have a WONDERFUL day.
Also, if you're curious about spider toxicity, you can pretty much rank them like this. These are the only spider genera at all capable of producing a DIRECT fatality from venom.
1. Sicarius - Six-eyed sand spider
2. Hadronyche - Northern Funnelweb
3. Atrax Robustus - Sydney Funnelweb
4. Phoneutria - Wandering Spider (only a hair less venomous than Atrax)
5. Loxosceles Laeta - Chilean Recluse
6. Latrodectus - Widow spiders
