The Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti) are found throughout Australia and not only in outback dunnies. Also known as the Australian black widow, this species of spider is highly venomous that is also found in New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

The adult female Redback Spider is recognised by her spherical black body with a prominent red stripe on the upper side of her abdomen and an hour-glass-shaped red/orange streak on the underside. The male is usually much smaller then the females spider and are rarely noticed compared to the female.

There are variations on the shape of the red stripe and even in the colour of the stripe and on occasion the colour of the Redback Spider itself. It is usually the immature spider that varies in colour, being a pale brown colour, especially observed after the spider has moulted.

The following were found in corners outside our home, under the BBQ, and we even found one had spun a web in our laundry.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Infraorder: Araneomorphae
  • Family: Theridiidae
  • Genus: Latrodectus
  • Species: Latrodectus hasselti

Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti), Alice Springs, NT
Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti), Alice Springs, NT

Footnote & References

  1. Latrodectus hasseltii : Redback Spider, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/c7d8dbc8-dcde-4182-85ba-907182f95ea9
  2. Redback Spider, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/redback-spider/
  3. Redback, Redback – The Find-a-spider Guide for the Spiders of Southern Queensland, http://findaspider.org.au/find/spiders/302.htm

SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia Araneidae — Orb Weavers Arkys Australian Huntsman Spider Barking Spider Black House Spider Carepalxis sp Celaenia sp Crab Spiders Deinopidae — Net-casting Spiders Dolomedes sp Dolophones sp Flower Spiders Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus volans Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider