Poisonous Spiders in New Zealand

New Zealand is a small country located around Australia that experiences similar conditions and has similar wildlife. Like Australia, it has a relatively dry climate that is dense with various fauna, including its own menagerie of poisonous spiders. Though the area contains over 2,500 species of spider, three of them in particular are highly poisonous and can be dangerous to people.

  1. Redback Spiders

    • Redback spiders, Latrodectus hasselti, are very similar in appearance to the common Black Widow spider of North America. The female has a very round, jet black abdomen with a thick red stripe running down her back and a red hourglass marking on her belly. The males of the species are typically cream-colored with brown or white markings. Originally from Australia, Redback spiders have made their way to New Zealand in shipping containers and machinery and make their homes in urban areas, usually in peoples' homes, to keep warm. Bites are uncommon and usually result from the spider getting trapped in clothing, but can cause severe pain, aches and profuse sweating.

    Kapito

    • The Kapito spider, Latrodectus kapito, looks very much like the Redback spider with a few exceptions. The red marking on the Kapito's back is usually bordered by white and the body is typically much rounder, with males and females having similar coloration. The spider is found on coastal areas such as beaches and makes its habitat in sand dunes, logs, or even washed up tin cans. It's a shy, solitary predator that rarely bites, even when provoked. If one were to bite, however, it would lead to severe pain around the bite area and possible muscle cramps.

    White-Tailed Spiders

    • White-tailed spiders, Lampona murina, looks very different from New Zealand's other two venomous spiders in that it has a brown, slender body and cigar-shaped abdomen with a white patch at the tip. They do not build webs and spend much of their time in urban areas for warmth, and can often be found in gardens of rotting vegetation, where they prey on insects and other spiders. They often come into homes to feed on house spiders, so bites are not too uncommon. A White-tailed spider bite usually leads to severe pain and swelling around the bite area, but there are no long-lasting effects.