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
Footnote & References
- Latrodectus hasseltii : Redback Spider, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Latrodectus hasseltii
- Redback Spider, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/redback-spider/
- 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 Spiders Index Araneidae — Orb Weavers Spider sac Arkys Australian Huntsman Spider Barking Spider Black House Spider Carepalxis sp Celaenia sp Cosmophasis micarioides Crab Spiders Deinopidae — Net-casting Spiders Dolomedes sp Dolophones sp Euryopis Flower Spiders Gnaphosidae (Stealthy Ground Spider) Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Helpis minitabunda (Bronze Hopper) Herennia sp Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Molycria burwelli Mopsus mormon Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Redback Spider Miturgidae Salticidae Tetragnatha Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider
