Snakes | Spiders | Jellyfish | Other

Is there any truth in the email rumour that the brown recluse spider is spreading across Australia?

As of mid-2008, an email began to circulate that the brown recluse spider is increasing in numbers and spreading across Australia. The email usually has attachments, including a picture of the spider and graphic photos of the damage caused by its bite. The spider in the photos is usually Loxosceles, known as the recluse spider or fiddleback. The tissue damage in the photos really was attributable to a spider such as the one shown. HOWEVER, the spider (or a closely-related type) has only been found in the Adelaide region and only infrequently. There are no genuine reports of its distribution expanding, and no genuine reports of it causing tissue damage in Australia.

UPDATE: the hoax email has now had the logo of the Australian Red Cross added in an attempt to make it more believable. The Australian Red Cross do not send unsolicited emails with health warnings, and are not associated with this email hoax.

I have found a spider and wonder whether it can be used for venom research ?

There are very few laboratories researching spider venom because it is hard to gather enough spiders to collect much venom, unlike the copious amounts of venom produced by milking snakes. The AVRU has done work on various spider venoms, including that of the redback, white-tailed and cupboard spiders. At present redback spiders are being used by Venom Supplies of Tanunda in the Barossa Valley for the provision of venom for CSL, in Melbourne, to produce redback spider antivenom. Similarly, in Gosford, New South Wales, at the Australian Reptile Park, funnelweb spiders are milked for their venom for the production of CSL's funnelweb spider antivenom. You can learn more about Venom Supplies and the Australian Reptile Park by visiting the "Links" section of the AVRU website.

Do white-tailed spiders cause skin ulceration?

White-tailed spiders are found in most areas of Australia, and are common in urban dwellings. They are readily identifiable by their cylindrical body shape and the presence of a white or grey spot on the end on their abdomen. They are active hunters, preying upon other types of spiders, and may be found roaming inside houses, especially in warmer weather. White-tailed spiders have been implicated in some cases of necrotising arachnidism (skin breakdown or ulceration following spider bites) but this is a rare event at best. The majority of white-tailed spider bites do not cause skin ulceration, although itching and redness are common and may last several days.

Is daddy-long-legs venom extremely powerful?

It is a commonly-held belief that the venom of daddy-long-legs (Pholcus phalangoides) spiders is extremely potent and that it is only the small size of their fangs that means they can’t penetrate human skin and therefore can’t present a serious threat. The truth of the matter is that there is no evidence suggesting that their venom is particularly harmful to humans. It is thought that the idea that they possess deadly venom arises from their ability to kill redback spiders, whose venom is highly dangerous to humans, and that the venom of daddy-long-legs must therefore be more powerful, but this reasoning is false. The only hazard from a daddy-long-legs is the risk of inflammation if the spider is accidentally squashed near your eye.

I live in Victoria and have just dug up a black spider in a hole in my garden - could it be a funnel web spider ?

Yes, although less well-known than their northern cousins, the ACT, Victoria,Tasmania and south Australia all have species of funnel web spiders. Fortunately, although people have been bitten from these other areas, only the spiders in the ACT seem (so far) capable of delivering a medically significant bite. However if you are bitten by a large black hairy spider in these other areas, you should treat it as for funnel web spider bites from NSW and Queensland (which are definitely known to be very dangerous). The correct first aid is the pressure-immobilisation technique combining a pressure banadage along the whole bitten limb, a splint and immobilisation of the patient whilst they are transported to medical attention. On the other hand, many suspected funnel web spiders brought into museums in these areas of Australia actually turn out to be trapdoor spiders (they are typically brown and not black). If in doubt apply the appropriate first aid and treat as for a funnel web spider. If you have collected a spider and want it identified - see your local museum.

I have heard of the mouse spider - is it dangerous and does it eat mice ?

The 'mouse' spider is actually a group of eight diferent species of related spiders distributed throughout Australia. They do not eat mice ! Their name comes from the idea that they dig mouse-like burrows in the ground. They do have burrows but they are nothing to do with mice ! Although it is unusual to suffer serious effects from the bite of this type of spider, it is possible, especially in young children. Indeed, some years ago a child was bitten by a male of one of the species (an eastern mouse spider) in south east Queensland, and rapidly developed a critical illness similar to that of the funnel web spider (and responded well to funnel web spider antivenom). However most reported bites do not cause a systemic illness. Hence, just to be safe, these spiders should be regarded as potentially dangerous and therefore the appropriate first aid is as for a funnel web spider (pressure-immobilisation).