SPIDERS in Australia

Funnel Web
Mouse Spider
Trapdoor
Orb Weaving
Huntsman
Red Back
Black House Spider
White Tail
Sac Spiders
Wolf Spiders

 

Funnel Web Spiders

Atrax and Hadronyche

Found:
Eastern Australia including Tasmania in coastal and highland forest regions - as far west as the Gulf Ranges area of South Australia. 36 species including 3 tree dwelling species. sydney Funnel Web Spiders (Atrax robustus) occur from Newcastle to Nowra and west to Lithgow.

Identification and Habits:
Large spiders (1.5-4.5cm body lenght) with glossy dark brown to black carapace. Eyes closely grouped. Abdomen usually dark plum to black, not patterned. Males often have a ventral spur or swelling midway along the second leg, pointed in Atrax, blunt or absent in Hadronyche.
Spinnerets usually obvious, at rear, end segment longer than wide. Burrows in sheltered habitats-under rocks, in rotting logs, tree holes, etc, in bush and garden. Irregular silk trip lines radiate out from burrow entrance (Gulf ranges species excepted). Males leave their burrows and wander in search of females, Particularly during summer/autumn. Bites are most prevelant in this period.

Bite:
Dangerous. Can cause serious illness or death. Male venom sometimes more toxic than females. Initial symptoms include local pain, mouth numbness vomiting, abdominal pain, sweating and salivation. Antivenom is available-no deaths have occured since its introduction.

First Aid:
Bites are usually on a limb. Immediate action should be taken to apply a pressure bandage and immobilise the bitten limb by splinting. Restrict movement of victim. Capture the spider for positive identification. Seek medical attention urgently.

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Mouse Spiders

Eastern Mouse Spider: Missulena bradleyi
Red-headed Mouse Spider: Missulena occatoria

Found:
Eastern Mouse Spiders are found in east coastal and highland regions. Red-headed Mouse Spiders are found across the continent mainly west of the Great Dividing Range.

Identification and Habits:
Squat spiders 1-3cm long. Carapace glossy:head area high, broad and bulbous, eyes widespread across front. Spinnerets short, blunt. Females black overall. Male Eastern Mouse Spiders black with buish white patch on front of addomen. Male Red-headed Mouse Spiders with red head and jaws and gunmetal blue abdomen, female jaws often red tinged. Burrows with double or single trapdoors. Males wander during summer/autumn, especially after rain.

Found:
Mouse Spider venom may be very toxic, but only one serious envenomation has been recorded, other bites causing minor effects. Funnel Web Spider antivenom may be effective.

First Aid:
Until more toxicity data is available it is prudent to treat as for Funnel Web Spider bite, especially if the victim is a child. Collect spider for positive identification.
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Trapdoor Spiders


Brown Trapdoor Spiders: Misgolas
Sigillate Trapdoor Spiders: Aganippe

Found:
Misgolas group spiders are found in eastern Australia especially in coastal and highland regions of New South Wales and Victoria. M.rapax is the common Brown Trapdoor Spider around Sydney. Aganippe group spiders are found across southern Australia west of the Great Dividing Range and include the Adelaide Trapdoor Spider, A.subtristis.

Identification and Habits:
1.5-3cm body lenght. Spinnerets short, blunt. Males with a small double spur halfway along first leg(arrowed).
Brown Trapdoor Spiders- dull brown spiders with cover of paler gold hairs on carapace ('dusty' appearance). Abdomen often with pale transverse bars. Males with thick 'boxing glove' palps. Eyes in two compact rows. Burrows open (without trapdoor).
Sigilatte Trapdoor Spiders- brown spiders with glossy carapace and 4-6 hairless spots (sigillae) on top of abdomen. Eyes in three rows. Burrows with soil or litter trapdoors.

Bite:
Brown Trapdoor Spiders are often mistaken for Funnel Web Spiders but their bites are not dangerous - local pain and swelling may occur. The same goes for Silligate Trapdoor Spider bite, although there is one report of unspecified 'severe effects'.

First Aid:
Seek medical attention if symptons persist.
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Orb Web Weaving Spiders

Garden Orb Weaving Spiders: Eriophora
Banded Orb weaving Spiders: Argiope
Golden Orb weaving Spiders: Nephila

Found:
Found all over Australia. Common Garden Orb Weavers are E.biapicata and transmarina from eastern and southern Australia. A common Argiope is the St Andrew's Cross Spider, A.keyserlingii, of eastern Australia.

Identification and Habits:
All make suspended, sticky, wheel-shaped orb webs. The commonly seen Garden Orb Weavers are 1-2.5cm in body lenght. Most are stout, reddish-brown or greyspiders withn a leaf-shaped pattern on their roughly triangular abdomens. Webs are placed in openings between trees and shrubs where insects are likely to fly. Transverse abdominal banding identifies many Banded Orb Weavers. some, like A.keyserlingii(body 1-1.5cm), have thick zig-zag bands of silk in their webs that mayattract insect prey by reflecting U-Vlight. Their webs are placed among the shrubs or long grass. Golden Orb Weavers are large spiders (body 2-3cm) with silver-grey bodies and long banded legs. Their orb webs are large and often have a 'barrier network' of threads. The solk has a golden sheen.

Note: Males often much smaller than females.

Bite:
Reluctant to bite, symptoms usually negligible or local pain, numbness and swelling, occasionally nausea and dizziness.

First Aid:
Seek medical attention if symptons persist.
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Huntsman Spiders

Common Huntsman Spiders: Isopeda, Isopedella
Shield Huntsman Spiders: Olios
Tropical Huntsman Spiders: Heteropoda

Found:
Isopeda, Isopedella and Olios are widely distributed in Australia. Heteropoda, is common in northern tropical areas.

Identification and Habits:
Large, long -legged spiders (up to 15cm across legs), mostly grey to brown, legs sometimes banded. Common Huntsman Spiders have flattened bodies adapted for living under loose bark. Shield Huntsman Spiders are usually fawn or grey above, withventrally banded legs and distinctive colour combinations of black, white, orange or yellow under the abdomen (the 'shield'). These spiders, and the motley brown, white and black patterned Tropical Huntsman Spiders, have less flattened bodies and are found under bark, on foliage and in leaf litter. Allsometimes enter houses.

Bite:
Usually results only in transient local pain and swelling. However, some Shield Huntsman Spiders bites can result in prolonged pain, inflammation, headache, vomiting and irregular pulse rate.

First Aid:
Ice pack may relieve local pain. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
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Redback Spiders

Latrodectus hasselti

Found:
Found all over Australia; common in disturbed and urban areas

Identification and Habits:
Redback Spiders are black (occasionally brownish) with an obvious orange to red longitudinal stripe on the upper abdomen and an "hourglass" shaped red/orange spot on the underside of the abdomen. Females have a body about the size of a large pea and slender legs. The tiny males, only about 3mm long, are not dangerous. webs consist of a tangled, funnel-like upper retreat area from which vertical, sticky catching threads run to ground attachments (built in dry, sheltered sites, eg., under rocks, in logs, shrubs, junk-piles, sheds, privies, etc.)Redback Spiders are least prevelant in the winter months.

Bite:
Redback bites occur frequently. They can cause serious illness and have caused deaths. Because of their small jaws many bites are ineffective. Common early symptoms are pain(which can become severe), sweating (always including local sweating at bite site), muscular weakness, nausea and vomiting. An antivenom is available - no deaths have occurred since its introduction.

First Aid:
Apply ice pack to bitten area to relive pain. Do not apply a pressure bandage (venom movement is slow and pressure worsens pain). Collect the spider for a positive identification. Seek medical attention.
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Black House or Window Spider

Badumna insingnis

Found:
Widely distributed in southern and eastern Australia. Common in urban areas. Badumna group spiders are found all over Australia.

Identification and Habits:
Dark, robust spiders, 1-1.5cm, body length. Carapace and legs dark brown to black, abdomen charcoal rey with a dorsal pattern of white markings (sometime indistinct). Their webs form untidy, lacy silk sheets with funnel like entrances. They are found on tree trunks, logs, rock walls and buildings (in window frames, wall crevices, etc.). B.longinquus is a slightly smaller species with a greyish carapace and grey-brown banded legs. It often builds webs on foliage.

Bite:
Timid spiders. Bites are infrequent but may be quite painful with local swelling. Nausea,vomiting, sweating and giddiness sometimes occur.

First Aid:
Ice pack may relieve local pain. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
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White-tailed Spider

Lampona cylindrata

Found:
Lampona group spiders are found all over Australia; L. cylindrata is particularly common in distributed and urban areas.

Identification and Habits:
Cylindrical spiders, body 1-2 cm. long, females more robust than males. Body colour dull, dark grey to brown with a distinctive white spot on the end of the abdomen, (sometimes also with paired spots towards front), legs shiny, brownish. Night-active, crevice dwelling hunters found under bark, rocks and in leaf litter, often in houses. They attack and eat other spiders including Black House Spiders.

Bite:
Symtoms usually confined to local mild stinging or burning pain, sometimes followed by development of an itchy lump. Less commonly bites result in swelling, discolouration and local ulceration, sometimes with nausea and vomiting. There is no conclusive evidence that these spiders regularly cause significant skin damage or ulceration.

First Aid:
Ice pack may relieve local pain. Seek medical attention if symtoms persist.
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Sac Spiders

Slendor Sac Spiders: Chiracanthium
Stout Sac Spiders: Clubiona

Found:
Throughout Australia in forest and grassland habitats.

Identification and Habits:
Hunting spiders, 1-2cm body length, that make small cylindrical or ovoid silk retreat sacs. Slender Sac Spiders are common hunters on foliage in bush and garden. Males especially, have slender bodies, large jaws and long, thin legs. Most are shades of cream, brown or yellow. Their retreat sacs are made in folded leaves or grass blades. They sometimes enter houses, building their retreat sacs in wall and ceiling corners. Stout Sac Spiders have stronger legs with robust, cylindrical bodies, reddish brown to fawn in colour. They may be found on house walls and fences but are most common under bark and in leaf litter.

Bite:
Bites are not common and symptoms are usually minor, including local pain and swelling. Symptoms of Chiracanthium bite may also include headache, dizziness, sweating, nausea and local skin ulceration, though most such reports relate to overseas experience.

First Aid:
Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
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Wolf Spiders

Lycosidae

Found:
All parts of Australia

Identification and Habits:
Many species, 1-8cm across legs, robust, agile ground living hunters in leaf litter or burrows(often is lawns and gardens). Eight eyes, four largest arranged in a square on top of head. body colours typically drab, most with variegated patterns in brown, grey, black and white (often radiating lines on carapace and scroll-like patterns on abdomen). Underside grey or black, sometimes with white markings. Jaws may bear orange spots on sides.

Bite:
Symptoms usually minor - local pain or itchiness. Less commonly, symptoms can include swelling, prolonged pain, dizziness, rapid pulse and nausea.

First Aid:
Seek medical attention if symtoms persist.
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Information and pictures provided by Bayer Australia