White-tailed Spider
Scientific Name: Lampona cylindrata
Size: Total Length 20 mm
What does it look like?
The White-tailed Spider has a long cylindrical dark greyish body, with 2 pairs of greyish-white spots and large whitish tip on the abdomen, and reddish-brown pointed legs. Females are larger than males.
Where is it found?
Found throughout southern Australia from south-eastern Qld, through NSW, Vic, Tas and SA to WA.
What are its habitats & habits?
The White-tailed Spider mainly occurs in vegetated areas, including on trees, under logs, rocks and leaf litter, where it hunts at night, mainly for other spiders, but will readily enter houses.
Interesting facts
Bites can be painful, and accompanied by swelling, redness and itchiness, lasting up to 12 days. Bites can become infected with the bacteria Mycobacterium ulcerans, which causes tissue necrosis, but is incorrectly believed by many people to be caused by the venom itself.
This species features in my book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Dangerous Creatures of Australia
