Redback spider

species of arachnid

The redback spider is a venomous spider that lives in Australia. The female is larger than the male. The female's body is about 1 centimetre long and the male's body is about 3 millimetres long. The adult female spider is usually black and usually has a red stripe on its back. The female likes to live in warm sheltered places and makes a web to catch insects and other small creatures.[2]

Redback spider
Adult red back spider
Adult male (considerably smaller than female)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Latrodectus
Species:
L. hasseltii
Binomial name
Latrodectus hasseltii
Synonyms[1]

The spider's bite can be very painful and dangerous to people, because it can inject a venom through its fangs. An antivenom injection is available, which can help to restore the health of people who have become very ill after being bitten by the spider.

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Taxon details Latrodectus haseltii Thorell, 1870". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  2. Garb, Jessica E.; González, Alda; Gillespie, Rosemary G. (June 2004). "The Black Widow Spider Genus Latrodectus (Araneae: Theridiidae): Phylogeny, Biogeography, and Invasion History" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 31 (3): 1127–42. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.10.012. PMID 15120405. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-10-12.