Funnel-web Spiders

Funnel-web spiders, the most notorious members of our spider fauna, are found in eastern Australia.

There are at least 40 species of funnel-web spiders and they are currently placed in two genera: Hadronyche and Atrax. They are medium to large spiders, varying from 1 cm - 5 cm body length. Males are more lightly built than females. Body colour can vary from black to brown but the hard carapace covering the front part of the body is always sparsely haired and glossy. The lateral pair of spinning organs (spinnerets) at the end of the abdomen are longer and easily visible in Atrax spp. but often shorter in Hadronyche spp.

Not all species are known to be dangerous, but several are renowned for their highly toxic and fast acting venom. The male of Atrax robustus, the Sydney Funnel-web Spider, is probably responsible for all recorded deaths (13) and many medically serious bites. This remarkable spider has become a part of Sydney's folklore and, although no deaths have been recorded since the introduction of an antivenom in 1981, it remains an icon of fear and fascination for Sydneysiders.

Identifying Funnel-web Spiders

Shiny carapace
Deeply curved groove (fovea)
No obvious body pattern
Eyes closely grouped
Four spinnerets, largest with last segment longer than wide
Lower lip (labium) studded with short, blunt spines
Modified male second leg (usually with a mating spur or grouped spines)
An obvious, conical projection or 'spur' on the lower side of the middle segment (tibia) of the second leg (about halfway along) is characteristic of the genus Atrax, exemplified by the Sydney Funnel-web Spider, Atrax robustus. Males of all other funnel-web species (currently placed in the genus Hadronyche) either have a blunt, spine-covered tibial swelling, or a few spines only, on the second leg. Note also the mating organ on the male palp.

Suspects gallery

These spiders are funnel-webs:

Sydney Funnel-web Spider (Atrax robustus) male
Southern Tree Funnel-web Spider (Hadronyche cerberea)

These spiders are sometimes mistaken for funnel-webs:

Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider (Misgolas rapax) male
Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider (Misgolas rapax) female
Mouse Spider (Missulena sp) female
Bymaniella near Guyra, New South Wales
Black house spider (Badumna insignis)

Where Funnel-web spiders live

Funnel-web spiders live in the moist forest regions of the east coast and highlands of Australia from Tasmania to north Queensland. They are also found in the drier open forests of the Western Slopes of the Great Dividing Range and South Australia's Gulf ranges. Funnel-webs of the genus Atrax have a much smaller distribution than do the more diverse members of the genus Hadronyche. The Sydney Funnel-web Spider, Atrax robustus, is found from Newcastle to Nowra and west as far as Lithgow in New South Wales.

In Sydney suburbia, funnel-web spiders mostly live in the moist upland forest areas of the Hornsby Plateau to the north and the Woronora Plateau to the south, where sheltered burrow habitats abound in both bushland and gardens. The dry, flatter areas of western Sydney and the Cumberland Plain have fewer funnel-webs, their numbers picking up again in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Two funnel-web species are common in the Sydney region - the Sydney Funnel-web Spider (Atrax robustus) and the Southern Tree-dwelling Funnel-web Spider (Hadronyche cerberea).

While Sydney Funnel-webs were never restricted to the leafy north shore region as some would have it, Sydney real estate does give a rough guide to funnel-web density - the more expensive the area the greater the funnel-web population (the dry, sandy eastern suburbs excepted).

Within Hadronyche several groups of related species are currently recognised. These species groups are:

cerberea group, found entirely south of the Hunter River into Tasmania, except for a single species, the Northern Tree-dwelling Funnel-web Spider, H. formidabilis, the largest funnel-web spider (body length up to 5 cm)
infensa group, found north of the Hunter River region into south-east Queensland
adelaidensis group, isolated in the dry forests of the Gulf Ranges of South Australia; the only trap-door building funnel-web spider
a single species isolated in the wet forests of the Illawarra region of New South Wales
'lamington' group, several species confined to discrete rainforest areas in New South Wales and Queensland
anzes group, a single, far northern outlier species in rainforests north of Cairns, north Queensland.

Sheltered retreats

Funnel-webs burrow in moist, cool, sheltered habitats - under rocks, in and under rotting logs, crevices, rot and borer holes in rough-barked trees. In gardens, they prefer rockeries and dense shrubberies, and are rarely found in more open situations like lawns. The most characteristic sign of a Funnel-web's burrow is the irregular silk trip-lines that radiate out from the burrow entrance of most species. These trip-lines alert the spider to possible prey, mates or danger.

Rain may flood burrows and the temporary retreats of male Funnel-webs, causing an increase in their activity. Funnel-webs are very vulnerable to drying out, so high humidity is more favourable to activity outside the burrow than dry conditions. Most activity is nocturnal. Gardeners and people digging in soil may encounter Funnel-webs in burrows at any time of the year.

Early warning system

Funnel-web burrows are distinguished from other holes in the ground by the presence of a series of irregular silk 'trip-lines' radiating out from the entrance. If a spider burrow has obvious silk trip-lines around its rim you can be fairly certain that it belongs to a funnel-web spider.

The silk entrance to the burrow of a Sydney Funnel-web Spider has a more or less well-defined funnel-like silk entrance 'vestibule' within which is a collapsed, tunnel-like structure with one or two slit-like openings. The tunnel leads back into a short surface chamber from which the burrow descends. The burrow is often weakly silk-lined and rarely more than 30 cm deep. The spider (hunting mostly at night) sits just inside the entrance with its front legs on the trip-lines. When a beetle, cockroach, or small skink, typical items of funnel web food, walks across the lines, the spider senses the vibrations and races out to grab its meal. The prey is quickly subdued by an injection of venom from the spider's large fangs. Funnel-web spiders may also forage on the surface in the vicinity of the burrow.

Holes are normally found in moist, shaded areas like rockeries, dense shrubs, logs and leaf litter. A small, neat hole lined with a collar of silk which does not extend more than a centimetre from the rim could belong to a trapdoor spider (the common Brown Trapdoor Spider does not build a 'door' for its burrow). Other possible hole owners include mouse spiders, wolf spiders or insects (most commonly cicadas or ants).

The tree dwellers

Most funnel-webs are ground dwellers but a few live in trees. The largest of all funnel-webs is the Northern Tree Funnel-web Spider, Hadronyche formidabilis, reaching 4 cm - 5 cm body length. These spiders live in the wet forests of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland and have been found over 30 m above ground. While many have their retreats in surface-opening branch rot-holes, some spiders appear to live and feed entirely inside the deadwood pipe of large forest trees like Tallow-wood, feeding on beetles and other insects inside this rotting wood habitat. The smaller Southern Tree Funnel-web Spider, H. cerberea, is common in the Sydney and Central Coast regions, but ranges all over eastern New South Wales south of the Hunter River. The abdomen sometimes has a light plum colouration. They make silk-lined retreats in holes and rot-crevices in a variety of rough-barked trees, including Melaleuca (paperbarks), Banksia, Casuarina (she-oaks) and eucalypts. The exposed web surface tunnel is disguised by a covering of bark or wood particles. There are often two entrances, each with trip-lines running out across the bark. Prey ranging from beetles to tree frogs are taken by these spiders.

Wandering and mating

After they mature, male spiders leave their burrows and become wanderers, especially during the summer/autumn months, looking for females in their burrows. Chemicals called pheromones in the female's tripline silk help the male locate and identify her burrow. Well before mating, the male spins a small silk sperm web, onto which he deposits a droplet of sperm from his abdominal genital pore. The sperm it is then taken up and stored in the mating organs at the ends of the male's palps.

The spur and/or spines on the male's second legs are used to hold the female during mating. During mating, considerable sparring occurs until the female accepts the male. Both spiders rear up with first legs raised against each other, while the male engages his mating spurs across the bases of the female's second legs. The male then inseminates the female by inserting the tips of his palpal organs into the female's genital opening on the underside of her abdomen.

The male factor

Only male spiders have been responsible for all recorded funnel-web envenomation deaths - why is it so? The answer lies in a combination of spider behaviour, venom chemistry, and even colonial politics.

During the warmer months of the year (November-April) male funnel-webs wander about at night looking for females in their burrows. Males wandering in suburban gardens may sometimes become trapped inside houses or garages, especially those with concrete slab foundations where entry points under doors are easily reached.

The venom of the male Sydney Funnel-web Spider is very toxic. This is because male spider venom contains a unique component called Robustoxin (d-Atracotoxin-Ar1) that severely and similarly affects the nervous systems of humans and monkeys, but not of other mammals (a difficulty for 'creation science' which believe in a special creation for humanity). The absence of this chemical from female Sydney Funnel-web Spider venom explains why bites by these females have not caused any deaths. However, not all funnel-web species show such a large gender-based difference in venom toxicity. Almost four million people live in the Sydney region, the centre of the distribution of the Sydney Funnel-web Spider. This makes the likelihood of human encounters with this spider much greater than in less urbanised areas like the Blue Mountains. This situation, of course, stems from a political decision made in London more than 220 years ago, to establish a colony in 'New South Wales' at Sydney Cove, a site nominated by Captain James Cook after his voyage of exploration.

Taken together, these ingredients produce a recipe for unexpected and potentially life-threatening encounters.

Funnel-web Spider antivenom

An antivenom for the Sydney Funnel-web Spider was first developed for clinical use in 1981 by Dr Struan Sutherland and his team at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories. No deaths have occurred since its introduction. At the same time Sutherland experimentally established the effectiveness of the compression/immobilisation first aid technique for funnel-web bite. Much of the venom for this research was supplied through a funnel-web venom milking program at the Australian Reptile Park. This antivenom has also been effective against other dangerous funnel-web spider species. As well, it has been successfully used in cases of mouse spider envenomation. Antivenom is held at major city and regional hospitals.

Other dangerous funnel-web species

All suspected bites by any funnel-web spider should be regarded as potentially dangerous and treated accordingly. Besides Atrax robustus several other species have been sporadically involved in life threatening envenomations. They include the Blue Mountains Funnel-web Spider (Hadronyche versuta) and the Southern and Northern Tree Funnel-web Spiders (H. cerberea and H. formidabilis).

First aid for Funnel-web Spider bites - why and how

Despite the availability of an effective antivenom, correct and immediate first aid is still an essential requirement for funnel-web spider (and mouse spider) envenomation. The recommended first aid technique is pressure/immobilisation (as for snake bite) and this must be done as quickly as possible.The pressure/immobilisation technique compresses surface tissues and reduces muscle movement, greatly slowing the lymphatic flow.

Spider bites usually take place on a limb. A pressure bandage should be applied as soon as possible after a bite has occurred. This should be applied as tightly as for a sprained ankle, starting from the bitten area and binding the entire limb above the bite. A rigid splint should be bound onto the limb to prevent limb movement. The patient should be kept as quiet as possible and medical attention sought. If possible, keep the spider for positive identification.

Funnel-web Spider FAQs

Can funnel-webs jump?

Despite what many people think, funnel-webs can' t jump. However they can move quickly, and they will rear up when irritated and make sudden lunges when striking

Can funnel-webs swim?

Wandering funnel-webs spiders often fall into backyard swimming pools and they can stay alive for hours. They can't swim but they can trap a small bubble of air in hairs around the abdomen, which aids both breathing and floating, so it should not be assumed that a spider on a pool bottom has drowned. As they gradually get waterlogged, their buoyancy decreases and they eventually sink and drown. Funnel-webs have been known to survive 24-30 hours under water.

Last Updated: 23 November 2011

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73 comments

fish4fish3
6.01 PM, 20 January 2012

this is him getting up after the first hit.

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fish4fish3
6.01 PM, 20 January 2012

this is him after the first hit

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fish4fish3
5.01 PM, 20 January 2012

I had this guy just walk into my living room. He didn't seem to care I was there until I hit it with my son's sand shovel. I took a pic of it and then it got up just to get hit again. I live in coffs Harbour and was wondering if this was the Sydney Funnel Web

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dmackenzie
8.01 PM, 19 January 2012

and number 2 - how best to pest control these??

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dmackenzie
8.01 PM, 19 January 2012

Hi I have found 2 of these spiders at the bottom of my pool in the last week. Two burrow holes have also popped up next to the pool, but no funnel of web. Are they funnel webs? Thanks

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Mandad
6.12 PM, 10 December 2011

Are funnel webs the only spiders that can live for a long time under water such as in swimming pools? We found what looked like a funnel web in our swimming pool and then found two burrows adjacent to the pool in a landscaped area with native plants and tree mulch.

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tinag
9.12 AM, 09 December 2011

I am moving into our new house which has a reserve out the back in Northmead. We have to resubmit our landscape plans to council, and I want to avoid funnel webs and red backs like the plague! My husband is adamant that putting timber wood chips as mulch along the entire side of our house will not attract funnel webs to burrow there, as he has been on site planting a whole lot of native plants along the back fence of the block, and hasnt seen anything. Can you please put my mind at ease as I have a 4 year old and a 4 month old and dont want them touching them! Thanks, Tina

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clem8
8.12 PM, 05 December 2011

I found this under a pile of clothes on the bedroom floor in the outskirts of Sydney after heavy rain. Is it a funnel web or trap door?

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Louise Carter
11.11 AM, 23 November 2011

@pacha The spider in your pic is a Brush footed Trapdoor spider in the family Barychelidae . Without seeing the spider this is all we can say. If you contact the Queensland Museum they should be able to help you.

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pacha
6.11 PM, 16 November 2011

Hi, I took this photo of a spider on our driveway in Brisbane the other night - it was about 40mm dia. After a bit of research, it may not be a Funnel-web as it looks to have hairs on its head and apparently they do not. It could also be the Wishbone Spider (or False Funnel-web as they are otherwise known) which is allegedly harmless, but they often have silver or golden hairs - so not sure. It also had a distinctive mottled abdomen. Is it possible to identify from these photos? Thanks

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kayjayay
2.08 PM, 22 August 2011

Hi We found 2 of these spiders whilst gardening on the weekend. Are they funnel webs? We live in Red Hill in Victoria.

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Louise Carter
10.07 AM, 06 July 2011

@MattO - From your pics of burrow and spider it looks like you have trapdoor spiders in your backyard. If you want a positive ID of the spider you could take it to the SA Musuem. Trapdoor spiders are not considered dangerous, but if you still feel they are a danger to your family you could contact a pest controller.

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Louise Carter
10.07 AM, 06 July 2011

@MarkB1 - Great photo! It does look like a trapdoor spider, but if you want a positive ID you could get it identified at the QLD musuem. In terms of identifing Funnel-web spiders there are a combination of features. Long finger-like spinnerets are one of the features but you can't go off this alone as other spiders have them too. If you have a look on our Funnel-web page under dangerous spiders you can see a list of identifing features. If you do come accross a funnel-web spider our advice is to leave it alone, if it is in your house but not posing any danger to you or your family you could remove it and put it outside.

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MattO
3.07 PM, 01 July 2011

second picture of the spider itself - - A bit mangled unfortunately...

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MattO
3.07 PM, 01 July 2011

Hi - Great Forum - we live in Adelaide, south of the City in Glenalta. I have attached a photo of a Burrow and a dead spider, can you confirm that it is a Funnel Web? I have two young boys and I was wondering what the best options are to get rid of them from the backyard? I have about 15 of these type of burrows....

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MarkB1
11.06 PM, 22 June 2011

Hi. Two things. Images I have seen of the Funnel Web spider are so much like the one I have uploaded, which I believe is a Trapdoor spider - found in remnant coastal forest in SE Bris. Would it be fair to say the easiest casual identifier is the protruding spinnerets of the Funnel Web? And what is your view of the 'kill on sight' attitude that seems to dominate when it comes to Funnel Web spiders? Is there any practical (as opposed to knee-jerk psychological reaction) point to it? Thanks. M

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Louise Carter
9.06 AM, 07 June 2011

@dunnef - The spiders you have found in the house are probably males, the males wander in search of females. The wet weather we've had over the last few months is most likely the reason why they out, they should become less common now we are in winter. To keep them out of you house make sure you always keep doors shut and if you are bringing in anything from outside make sure you check it, they like to hitch rides.

@ slartibartfast - Thanks for your comment, however the holes you are refering too are most likely trap door spider holes. Most people confuse trapdoor spiders and their holes for funnel web spiders. If you have a picture of the holes we would be able to give you some more information about what lives there.

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Slartibartfast
2.06 AM, 06 June 2011

Less frequent on the Cumberland plain? Don't you believe it! My mother grew up in West Ryde, there was a funnel web spider hole to every square yard in the backyard!

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dunnef
12.06 PM, 03 June 2011

How do you stop them from getting into the house? I've found three in the living room (on separate occasions) and am starting to worry.

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Louise Carter
11.06 AM, 01 June 2011

@kerry - Studies have shown that Sydney Funnel web venom is harmful to primates. Other spiders venom has not been specifically tested as they aren't known to kill humans (with the exception of Red Backs).

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kerry
8.05 PM, 24 May 2011

Is it all spiders can harm humans and monkeys? Or just Sydney funnell webs. When my parents built a new house they were so common guests that my 6 year old brother became the expert at catching them.I once had one watching tv with me on the floor.Hey it was a brand new concrete slab house

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Louise Carter
2.05 PM, 12 May 2011

@kazza - it does appear from your pic that the spider is a male Funnel-web. Be careful when handling these spiders after they come out of the water as they have be know to come back to life. Male funnel-webs are often found in swimming pools as they tend to wander looking for females

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Louise Carter
3.05 PM, 11 May 2011

Dave - Funnel-web spiders won't climb walls and enter through windows. Some people have found them on 2nd floors or in apartments and they most likely hitched a ride in clothing or foot wear that had previously been on the ground.

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Louise Carter
3.05 PM, 11 May 2011

Giftedmum - its difficult to say what type of burrows these are but judging from your picture they are not Funnel web spiders.

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giftedmum
9.04 AM, 30 April 2011

I was just up at Barrington Tops in NSW ... the ground was literally covered with these spider burrows. Are they funnel web burrows or trap doors? or something else .... its not the greatest angle... but I'm sure you can tell from the shot. I'm hoping that they are not Funnel web holes, as I don't think I would head back up there given the vast number (1000's) ,

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huxtable
11.02 PM, 05 February 2011

kazzad, im quite certain that is a male funnelweb

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kazzad
4.01 PM, 30 January 2011

can anyone please confirm if this is a funnel web spider. I found it at the bottom of the pool this morning. Using my spider identification chart it looks like a male one, as it has the spurs. but i would like to be wrong on this

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Dave
7.01 PM, 05 January 2011

Hi, do Sydney funnel web spiders like to climb at all? That is, should the only focus be on ensuring bottoms of doors are covered to prevent them entering the house, or will they climb outside walls and enter through windows?

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philandbj
4.01 PM, 04 January 2011

Hi, We found this spider dead in our pool today and still can't determine if it is a funnel-web or not after reading the information supplied on your website. We live in the lower hunter valley. I have attached a pic hoping you can identify it.

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claireh
10.12 PM, 09 December 2010

Hi, this spider has been emerging at night high on the walls in my bedroom for the last couple of weeks. It concerns me mainly because I'm trying to lease out my room for when I go overseas in a couple of weeks, and at least one potential taker was put off by the thought of spiders. Could you please help me identify this one and perhaps give some advice on what to do with it? It's about 12cm wide and hangs out near the ceiling. I attached a picture.

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snifferdog
8.12 AM, 08 December 2010

perhaps ths time the pic will work.....

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snifferdog
8.12 AM, 08 December 2010

What a great forum for information. My baby boy's bedroom has had a spider 'friend' living in the air vent up high on his wall. I had noticed our 'friend' coming out of the vent during the night when I was feeding my boy and I hadn't really bothered too much about it. The night before last I did not notice our 'friend' there anymore and just thought he had gone away. Yesterday I picked up some towels off the floor and when I went to put them into the washing machine I noticed what I think is our 'friend'. I rescued him and now have him in a plastic container. I've attached a pic, could you please confirm his species? My reason for this post is to ask what should I do with him now? I don't want him living in my sons room :) I live in Bathurst NSW and we have had some major rain recently. My house is an old wooden cyprus pineboard and is elevated off the ground. I look forward to your reply. Angela.

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Dee Jay TJ
9.11 PM, 07 November 2010

Hi All what a great site i'm so glad i found it, have been reading some post etc and found some very interesting stuff, my partner recently found a spider in our kitchen, we have looked around and we cant really figure it out, she says it was about4-5 cm ill up load a pic sorry in advance its a bad pic but hope you guys may know thanks for looking ;-) p.s tried to upload pic would not work please goto http://www.flickr.com/photos/42248546@N06/5153991430/

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Dee Jay TJ
9.11 PM, 07 November 2010

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Graham Milledge
8.08 AM, 26 August 2010

Hi Adam,

You'll find that the spider population isn't nearly as scary as you've been led to believe. Around 4.5 million people live in Sydney without too many problems. Of course, there are a greater number and variety of spiders here than in the UK because it is a warmer climate.

The main spiders of concern are the Funnel-Webs and the Red-Back. Bites are rare and no-one has died from spider bite for over 30yrs as anti-venom is available in hospitals.

There is plenty of information available on the internet, including our web site, concerning these spiders. If you find a spider you think may be dangerous, get it identified by an expert. Most spiders are relatively harmless.

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adamph
5.08 PM, 22 August 2010

We are in the process of moving from the UK to Sydney and the one aspect which frightens my wife is the spiders, especially for my youngest son who is 2 in November. Is there any chance you can provide some preventative measures you can use in every day living to try and reduce any risk of being bitten and also what to do if you find a spider you think may be poisonous. Many Thanks - hopefully your advice will get my wife on the plane!!!!

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Helen Smith
4.06 PM, 15 June 2010

hello Bradley, many kinds of ground-dwelling spiders are effectively trapped by swimming pools - in fact one of the ways we catch spiders for research is by using mini "swimming pools" - ie setting a plastic tub containing preservative into the ground. Your spiders could be funnel webs, they could also be other mygalomophs such as trapdoor or mouse spiders or they might be other large ground hunting spiders such as some species of wolf spiders (or all of the above and more!). If you send in a photo or two I will try to identify them for you. As a precaution you shouldn't handle the drowned spiders because they are reknown for recovering unexpectedly after considerable periods underwater. Apart from when they get flooded out of burrows by rain the main reason male spiders wander is to find females. So the time of year is dependent on the breeding cycle of the spider. Female funnel web spiders hunt from the mouth of their burrows, so do not usually wander, whereas female wolf spiders are active foragers.

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Helen Smith
3.06 PM, 15 June 2010

hi Leanne, your photo shows an eastern mouse spider, Missulena bradleyi. See my earlier reply about mouse spiders to Margaret on 23 April.

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Helen Smith
3.06 PM, 15 June 2010

Hello Angela, funnel web spiders do not make that kind of a web at all - they live in burrows in sheltered areas. So no need to worry about those in your car! The most likely culprit is a Steatoda. They are related to redback spiders but far less dangerous and there are a number of species that live around humans and in bush areas. There is a paragraph about these spiders on the Redback spider page http://australianmuseum.net.au/Redback-Spiders/

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Helen Smith
3.06 PM, 15 June 2010

Hello Carolyn, the web does look like that of a mygalomorph spider, but there is rather more silk around the entrance than I would expect for a funnelweb spider. I suspect it is some kind of trapdoor spider, but I cannot be sure without seeing the web's occupant.

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bradpayton
10.06 AM, 14 June 2010

I know of a place (booti booti national park) that I can only describe as a funnel web haven. everyday there are anywhere from 2-6 spiders on the bottom of the pool. have to ask why do these spiders always end up in the pool ? and why they leave there burrows even during the cold months? raining or not ! the pool is next steep sloping clay like soil on the edge of a forest. there are silk laden burrows are everywhere, are funnel webs community like spiders.I have counted over 16 at one time in the pool at summer. many people none experts have all said they are funnel webs, me included but the behaviour doesn't fit the bill....can there be that many in one place ?

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lea
8.06 PM, 03 June 2010

hi, would you be able to give me some information on what type of spider this might be, this is the second one i have had walk across my lounge room floor in 3 days. thanks

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Caramella
12.05 PM, 18 May 2010

Sorry, I forgot to add that I live in Canberra, if that is relevant at all. Thanks!

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Caramella
12.05 PM, 18 May 2010

I have found four webs around my yard (at different times in the past 6 months) like this one. My husband saw some legs inside one of the webs and jammed a stick into it and killed something (we have little boys who play outside!). However there has been another web made since then. The other webs all appeared to have been abandoned. Are these funnel-web spider webs and if so, is there anything we can do to discourage it/them from residing on our property? Thanks in advance.

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Helen Smith
10.04 AM, 23 April 2010

Hello Margaret,

Your photo shows a male eastern mouse spider, Missulena bradleyi. There is information on mouse spiders at http://australianmuseum.net.au/Mouse-Spiders. Whilst mouse spiders do not usually cause problems their venom is potentially dangerous and it is recommended to treat all bites as for a funnel-web bite.

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themarchants1234
1.04 PM, 20 April 2010

We live in Northern NSW and have found four of these spiders in our house over the past month (always after rain). The first three alive and at night on the floor in our kitchen and the last(photo) very dead in the filter of our washing machine. I am trying to identify and from photos think it is a funnel web. Not clear on the photos is the spot of colour on the front of his abdomen. On the live ones it seemed to be very pale green, almost white. On this one it is grey. Otherwise it is completely black. This specimen has lost most of his legs in the wash but I think his second is still there and cannot detect a spur. Could you please identify for me and let me know if it is a dangerous variety as I have an eighteen month old toddler and am worried about the consequences of a bite when we live far from the nearest hospital

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Martyn Robinson
2.03 PM, 23 March 2010

Hello Jimmy S,

The first of the two images you send appears to be the burrow of the Brown Trapdoor (currently Misgolas rappax). It is regarded as a harmless ground dweller which does look superficially like a funnelweb to many people, but is easily distinguished as these spiders are 'matt' rather than 'shiny' like a funnelweb, and the wandering male trapdoors have little 'boxing glove' shaped ends to their palps (the little leg like structures either side of the mouth. The photo in the tree, however, looks a little unusual. Is it possible to take a more detailed close-up of these tree entrances and send it again? There is a tree dwelling close relative of the funnelwebs but your photo looks a little different to the typical form of the burrow entrance.

Thanks in advance.

Martyn Robinson

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jimmy s
10.03 AM, 23 March 2010

This is the other picture if you didnt get it!

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jimmy s
10.03 AM, 23 March 2010

I live in the blue mountains,I see two what apear to be nests,one in the ground and one in a tree nearby.What do you make of these ,are do they look like funnel web nests?

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Ondine Evans
9.03 AM, 23 March 2010

@Glen86: the lack of extra webbing/silk triplines at the hole entrance suggests that this burrowing spider is not a Funnel-web species, but without seeing the spider it would be hard to hazard a guess - most likely some kind of Trapdoor (not all species make the 'trapdoor'). Even if it was a Funnel-web, I would suggest leaving it alone - spiders really don't bother us unless we bother them! If someone was to garden in this location, sturdy gloves, covered shoes and a spade would be the best idea in any case.

@vikrmac: the spider does look like a species of huntsman, which come in a range of sizes - there are several species with striped legs, plus one with a marking on the underside of the abdomen (the Badge or Shield Huntsman). We hope to put more images up soon on our Huntsman Spiders page, but there is some information there already about different species.

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vikrmac
7.03 AM, 23 March 2010

Here is another angle. Enjoy!!!

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vikrmac
7.03 AM, 23 March 2010

Hi, I was wondering if you could assist me. I recently spotted a spider crawling across the wall and initially thought it was a Huntsman. After a closer inspection however, I realised that it was an anonymous spider (even after consulting some literature and the internet). I resorted to taking it to school to see if fellow staff members could help, but unfortunately not. Could you please assist??? Vlado.

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Glen86
5.03 PM, 21 March 2010

I found this burrow in a nature strip on my road. I've seen a large black spider at the entrance with its front legs sticking out, obviously it backs down quickly whenever I get too close but if I shine a torch down the hole I can still see it. You can see its front legs in the pic. Im not sure if it's a funnel web or a trap door spider. If it is a funnel web, do I need to tell someone or just leave it be?

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Ondine Evans
4.02 PM, 12 February 2010

HI Jakal - this spider is most likely to be a female wolf spider - your description of its body being covered with young is very typical of this species, plus the overall body shape, colour/pattern and the lack of long, fingerlike spinnerets also preclude it being a funnel-web.

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Jakal
1.02 PM, 12 February 2010

Sorry - first attempt image too large. This spider was found with a whole bunch of young over its body. Can you confirm if it is a female Sydney Funnel-web? It was found outside our rear door at Wallabi Point - on the coast near Taree. Many thanks. Alan

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Ondine Evans
10.02 AM, 11 February 2010

Hi kettle - your spider is probably not too likely to be a funnel-web. The male funnel-webs that come into houses at ground level occasionally, do so accidentally as they wander during late summer looking for females - but it would be quite difficult for them to be in an apartment five storeys up. Funnel-web spiders are ground-dwelling spiders that do not live in 'nests' or any type of colony, and definitely don't live in buildings.However, to be sure, as we can't really tell what the spider might be without seeing it, you could bring the spider into the Museum for identification (if you live in Sydney) or perhaps take a photograph and attach it here as part of a comment, for identification.

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kettle
12.02 AM, 11 February 2010

I was wondering whether funnel webs can live in apartments five levels above the ground? I found what I believe to be one - have cross checked with your description - although it is only around 1cm long. It could have attached itself to my luggage as I returned the day before from airport/taxi. And it did jump out from under a black plastic bag which came out of suitcase. But the bag had been on the floor for around 24 hours. I am paranoid now as I think it is a young male. What is it doing in my apartment? Could there a big nest of them in my building? Living in the drains? They're dark and moist.

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Ondine Evans
10.02 AM, 01 February 2010

Hi Psmith - the spider you've photographed looks like a male Sydney Brown Trapdoor Spider - the 'boxing glove' palps and the double spur on the first leg are the best clues for this particular species.

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psmith
11.01 PM, 29 January 2010

Found this spider indoors in Blackheath after rain. Having trouble identifying it. Palps were very large. Length (not including legs) was about 1.5 cm. No noticeable spinarets or spur on second leg.

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