Red-back - Latrodectus hasseltii, family Theridiidae
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| Where: I found this baby spider in our media room. It span a web in the corner of the room. |
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| How big are they?: Female Redback spiders normally grow to 7 mm. But this one is about the size of the tip of my finger. About 3-4mm |
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| Venom / Bite: Potentially fatal.
Only females are known to bite, with a sharp nip followed at
varying time intervals by increasing pain and localised patches of
sweating. Results of bites are highly variable: the spider has full
control over venom dosage and some bites may be "dry", i.e., venom-free
defensive bites. The venom is latrotoxin, which is effective against most animals. My daddy said that they are preyed upon by Daddy-long-legs and Giant Daddy-long-legs spiders. |
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