Venomous spiders found in Selwyn Street1 min read

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The venomous noble false widow spider has made its first reported appearance in Selwyn Street, Onehunga.

Local resident and outdoor enthusiast, Robin Child, discovered two spiders after noticing something unusual in his garden.

“I spotted a young lizard, about 10cm long, dangling mid-air on my fence,” Robin says. “I thought it was odd, so I took a closer look. There was a web tied to its tail, and when I looked along the fence, I saw two false widow spiders.”

Robin recognised the spiders from an article he had read in the New Zealand National Geographic magazine the week before, which featured them. One of the photos showed the same markings as these spiders.

Robin is impressed by the strength of the spiders, but decided to play it safe. He carefully caught them and now keeps the pair in a jam jar at home, saying he won’t release them into the wild as they pose a threat to native wildlife.

The noble false widow, which resembles the notorious black widow, is believed to have arrived from Australia last year, and has since been confirmed in other areas of New Zealand.

They are easily identified by their bulbous bodies and long, thin legs. They favour gardens and outdoor furniture. While generally shy, experts warn they should not be provoked. Bites can cause swelling, redness and pain, and in some cases more severe symptoms such as nausea, tissue damage or secondary infections.

Robin has reported the spiders to the council and other biosecurity authorities.