Spider Problem -
White Tail Spider
Eradication
Variously known as White Tail spider, Whitetail spider, White-tail spider,
Whitetailed spider, White Tailed spider etc.; this Australian invader was
first recorded in New Zealand in 1886, at Waiwera, Auckland.
It is believed that it came into the country
with early colonists and is now well
established throughout the North Island
and is prevalent in many parts of the
South Island. They are common in urban
dwellings.
White Tails are active hunters, preying upon other types of spiders, and may be found
roaming inside houses, especially in warmer weather. White Tail spiders have been
implicated in cases of ulceration or necrosis following spider bites.
The incidence of ulceration following
White Tail spider bite is not known. The
majority of cases appear not to develop
ongoing ulceration, although blisters
and redness are common.
White Tail Spiders are slender looking, 1-2 cm in length, typically grayish or sometimes
brownish in colour with orange to brown banded legs and usually with a distinct cream-white
marking on the tip of the tail. Males and juveniles may have additional white spots on either
side of the abdomen.
The leg span of a fully grown specimen is
about the size of a fifty-cent coin. The two
species present in New Zealand: Lampona
cylindrata and Lampona murina cannot easily
be distinguished from one another without
close examination under a microscope.
The White Tail spider’s preferred habitat is under dry bark and plants, but they will often be
found inside houses, where they look for shelter from the light after hunting at night. They are
also known to move indoors in the winter to seek shelter from the cold.
The White Tail spider often hides in clothing and
shoes, especially if they have been left lying on the
floor. As White Tails eat many other kinds of spiders
one sign that White Tail spiders are sharing your
house is that there are few cobwebs and there are no
other spiders to be found.
White tail spiders have been implicated in cases of ulceration or necrosis following
spider bites. It is not clear whether white tail bites do cause ulcers but they do cause
painful bites. These spiders do not build a web to catch their prey as they are active
hunters.
The White Tail spider will cautiously enter the web
of its intended victim and mimic the struggles of a
trapped insect by plucking at the web. This may
trick the resident spider into investigating the
disturbance and so instead of gaining a meal, it
becomes one when the White Tail strikes.
There are numerous accounts of particularly nasty bites that are caused by White Tail spiders.
Where these spiders are positively identified as causing a bite, the bite will cause instant pain
followed by typical symptoms including ongoing pain, discomfort and swelling at the bite site.
The bite can develop into a small
ulcerous wound which can look similar to
a boil. In some instances, victims report
flu-like symptoms. Particularly nasty
infections can leave scarring.
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