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The white-tailed spider is perhaps not as well known as Australia's Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) or the redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti ), but its reputation is fierce.

There are two species of white-tailed spider - Lampona cylindrata and Lampona murina. Mention them around those-who-know, and they'll tell you that a bite from one of these leads to necrosis - a rotting of the flesh around the wound.

Even though this photo is blurry, I chose it because it highlights the gorgeous red colouration of this spider's legs. Note the obvious white tail.

Again, this photo is a little blurry, but it's interesting for the secretion this spider is leaving behind. It has the appearance of being quite sticky, but it is not a web (I think).

Despite its necrotic reputation, a 2003 study of 130 confirmed white-tailed spider bites found no evidence of ulceration at the bite site. Whilst this is somewhat comforting, it is perhaps more alarming to learn that these 130 bites occured during the three year period 1999 - 2002!

In the study, 32% of bite victims were bitten whilst sleeping. A further 20% were bitten soon after putting clothes on and in 17% of cases the victim was sitting or lying on the floor or on a chair when the spider crawled onto them.

Now we have a really interesting pose as this specimen decides to step off the sandstone onto a lower ledge. With the head in focus you can see some of its eyes up front.

Check out the angle on this spider's abdomen. It has just stepped off the sandstone overhang seen in the previous image. Again the reddish legs are apparent, as is the white marking on its "tail". The evening sun lights it up nicely.

Here is a side-on view of this rather flatish-looking spider. It has now moved onto a leaf and is entering the territory of another spider. You can see the edge of the second spider's funnel-shaped web in the background. (The funnel can't be seen in this photo.)

Despite the construction of the web, I'm fairly certain our second spider - to be seen shortly - is not a funnel web.

Taking a left turn - have a look at how far back the white-tail's second left leg has been lifted.

I'm not sure whether this specimen is a male or female. The females have a broader abdomen whilst in the males the abdomen is more cigar - or cylinder - shaped. Possibly this is an immature female as the abdomen does seem broader than a typical male. Either way, once they grow to this size, both males and females cause very painful bites.

The light in this photo really gives a sense of the texture on the spider's dorsal surface - as well as showing the positioning of its eyes again.

The Australian Museum fact sheet on white-tailed spiders reports them as "most active at night when they wander about hunting for other spiders, their preferred food". Amongst their culinary victims are redback spiders, daddy-long legs spiders, black house spiders and curtain-web spiders.

This one is in another spider's territory. Being a spider hunter, perhaps the white-tail is going to get a meal out of this.

Then BAM! Our mystery defender strikes!

Notice that our white-tail is limping away on the upper-right of the frame. I knew white tails hunted other spiders and that they were relatively fast walkers whilst stalking around my ceilings at night, but this spider which has just defended itself - easily of equal size - just came out like lightning and whack - chomped down on the white-tail.

The battle is over with a single strike. The white-tail is happy to call it quits and hobble away with one leg covered in the house spider's venom. I don't know how susceptible white-tails are to the venom of other spiders. Meanwhile this guy sits at the edge of his funnel and watches the white-tail go.

So who is our victor?

Well today I discovered the most fascinating bug website on the web. No spidery puns intended. I'll be sending a link to this article over to "What's that bug?" to get their opinion on the matter.

In the meantime, my best guess is that this is a grey house spider. Before today I'd never heard of a grey house spider, but I had certainly heard of the closely related black house spider.

The Australian Museum fact sheet on Sydney funnel web spiders describes funnel webs as having a shiny carapace (main body part), no pattern on the abdomen and usually obvious spinnerets. Our interloper fails on all counts.

The Grey house spider fact sheet offers a description a little closer to the mark: "[the grey house spider has] a greyish carapace and grey-brown banded legs. The webs of Black [and grey] House Spiders have a 'funnel-like' shape, which is sometimes misunderstood as a Funnel-web Spider web. However, the two spiders are not at all similar in appearance, size or life history".

Although this spider's legs are more reddish than grey, they are in fact banded and the rest of the body description matches the grey house spider. We had a black house spider living on the porch for most of this year and when we came home at night we were sometimes lucky enough to spy it sitting just outside its funnel. As soon as it saw us come close, however, it would retreat like a bullet back into its lair.

Today's grey house spider was every bit as lightning fast and I tell you what - don't go sticking your fingers down spider holes!

After one last scout around, this spider is headed back into his hole. This rear view is great for illustrating the lack of obvious spinnerets.

I hope you've enjoyed this series of spider encounters.


For goodness sakes - DO NOT HANDLE ANY SPIDER unless you really, really, really, really, really know what you're doing. Especially if you're visiting Australia!

And lastly - most spiders are in fact harmless and most spiders will shy away from you. They do a great job of regulating populations of nastier bugs like disease-spreading mosquitoes. If at all possible - don't kill them. I have two toddlers in my house and we've removed half a dozen white-tails in the last 18 months. I educate my children and rescue the spiders. Better yet - clear your eaves of cobwebs - this takes away one of the white-tail's primary food sources!

Topic Area - Spiders + Spitting Spider Scytodes Thoricica + Front Page + Grey House Spider Badumna Longinquus + White Tailed Spider Lampona Sp + Aussie Bronze Jumper Helpis Minitabunda + Jumping Spider Unspecified1 Family Salticidae + Redback Spider Latrodectus Hasselti + Netcasting Spider Deinopsis Subrufa

Topic Area - Spiders + Redback spiders - Latrodectus hasselti + Netcasting spider (Deinopsis subrufa) + Field Trip Update 2 + Some Sydney spiders + Bronze Aussie Jumper (Helpis minitabunda) + Jumping Spider (Family Salticidae) + Australia's white-tailed spider

Topic Area - Spiders + Redback spider - Latrodectus hasselti + Netcasting spider (Deinopsis subrufa) + Some Sydney spiders + Jumping Spider (Family Salticidae)

Topic Area - Spiders + New species of tarantula discovered in Australia