07-07-2025
Venomous spider identification retracted
Claims of a South Dunedin sighting of a spider with a venomous bite have been rebuffed by an arachnologist.
The noble false widow was positively identified in Christchurch and Nelson last week after being spotted in Wellington last December.
Subsequently, a South Dunedin resident claimed they had spotted one of the potentially dangerous spiders in their backyard in February.
Pest Management Association of New Zealand (PMANZ) executive councillor Vicki Smith was sent a photo of it by the resident after they heard about the spider in the media.
Ms Smith sent the photo to PMANZ entomologist Dr Paul Craddock, who initially confirmed the spider was the noble false widow.
However, University of Otago department of botany PhD candidate James Crofts-Bennett yesterday said the spider in the photo was not the Canary Island native noble false widow, but rather the South African false katipō.
"I'm going to have to disagree [with Dr Craddock]"
"That little red spot on the back is the go-to for a false katipō."
He would have to dissect the spider to be absolutely sure, but the stripes of the white spots and a red patch on its lower back in the photo suggested it was a false katipō, Mr Crofts-Bennett said.
It was easy to confuse the two spiders because of their similarities.
University of Otago department of botany PhD candidate James Crofts-Bennett says the identification of a noble false widow spider in South Dunedin is incorrect. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
The two spiders had similar inherent risks from bites, but neither posed a serious risk to humans, he said.
"These things are not that scary.
"You've been living with these for so long without knowing it."
The bigger issue was the spiders' impact on the environment.
"They're really hardy and well-adapted, so they do move into a lot of spaces where our native spiders like to inhabit and they sort of push them out."
Dr Craddock yesterday took back his initial identification.
He told the Otago Daily Times he trusted the opinion of Mr Crofts-Bennett because he had not had the opportunity to properly inspect the spider.
Ms Smith said if the false widow were to appear in Dunedin, it would start popping up a lot in springtime because it liked warmer weather.
"It likes to be outside, so I would recommend that people check their garden furniture."
Until then, it would hide away in the nooks and crannies of people's houses.
"Spiders during winter love to come inside to hibernate — they're like us: they like the creature comforts."
