Spiders
Other web-building spiders
Sighting 3386578

Latrodectus hasselti

Redback Spider at Garran, ACT

Latrodectus hasselti at Garran, ACT - 3 Dec 2017 03:43 PM
Latrodectus hasselti at Garran, ACT - 3 Dec 2017 03:43 PM
Latrodectus hasselti at Garran, ACT - 3 Dec 2017 03:43 PM
Latrodectus hasselti at Garran, ACT - 3 Dec 2017 03:43 PM
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Identification history

Latrodectus hasselti 4 Dec 2017 KimPullen
Latrodectus hasselti 4 Dec 2017 MichaelBedingfield
Redback spider (Latrodectus hasseltii 3 Dec 2017 ruthkerruish

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User's notes

Found inside shrub guard at the base of the stem of a planted 2-year old Kunzea ericoides. Not sure how I escaped being bitten (hence not so good pictures). I presume it would have come with the tube stock, wood chips or? This planting is in the middle of a large area of regularly mown grass with no rocks etc.

3 comments

KimPullen wrote:
   4 Dec 2017
Lots of spiders disperse at a very early age by 'ballooning', whereby they go to high point and release a thread of silk which catches in the breeze and carries them into the air. This way they can turn up anywhere - although the majority will likely perish.
ruthkerruish wrote:
   4 Dec 2017
Thank you.
KimPullen wrote:
   5 Dec 2017
Hi Ruth - wikipedia has an article about ballooning at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider) . But I don't know whether redbacks use this method. Kim.

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Additional information

  • 5mm to 12mm Animal size

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