![]() ![]() Most notably, the peculiar condition called necrotising arachnidism did not raise its head. Infections and allergies did not make an appearance in the collected data, putting to rest the idea that White-tails were carrying abnormally potent cocktails of flesh-eating bacteria on their fangs. Bites almost always happen inside, most often when sleeping or changing clothes, and during the warmer months of the year. The research tells us to expect pain and an itchy red sore that may last for around two weeks. This venom is adapted to work on their prey, and affects us in fairly minor ways. So what does happen when we’re bitten by a White-tail spider? Like almost all spiders, White-tails are venomous. As further evidence, the enzyme in Recluse Spider venom linked to necrosis is not found in White-tail spider venom. However, it has been found that necrotic wounds from purported White-tail bites, once carefully examined, turn out to have some other origin entirely – from diabetes, to staph infections to tinea. In fact, there was no such case for any of the 750 spider bites in Australia put to the same test between 19. ![]() It’s a telling result that in no case put under scrutiny in a two year period – where the spider was witnessed biting the patient, the spider was collected and then identified by an expert – was there a single case of necrosis. In the time since, the White-tail and other native Australian spiders including the Black House Spider and the Wolf Spider family (Lycosidae) have been touted as the cause of a wide range of serious skin problems, and a great deal of research has been conducted to test these claims. Despite a dearth of evidence, the story of the White-tail made it into the media, and it quickly became part of our collective wisdom as Australians that White-tails were “poisonous” skin-rotting ogres that had to be eradicated at all costs. However, in the published case, there was no spider witnessed to be involved – let alone identified as a White-tail. “Necrotic arachnidism” – necrotic wounds resulting from spider venom – is known to be caused by Recluse spiders ( Loxosceles spp.), and it was presumed that native Australian spiders must also be capable of causing it. In 1987 a man experienced severe skin necrosis following a day in the garden. Oh look – some folded sheets! What a find! Once the sun is rising, though, it’s time to find a nice crevice to safely wait out the day. It makes sense in that case that White-tails spend so much time hanging out around our homes – they’re a smorgasbord. A favourite meal is the Black House Spider ( Badumna insignis) which is extremely common around houses, building cottony funnels into brickwork and window sills. They spend the daylight hours hiding away in crevices – particularly under rocks and tree bark – and at night emerge to hunt other spider groups. White-tails are specialist spider-hunting spiders. These species look extremely similar, and are known for their flattened black bodies, chunky legs and pattern of white spots – particularly a single white patch at the tip of the abdomen (back). When we’re talking about the White-tail, though, it’s usually in reference to just the two large species that frequent houses in the south and east of Australia – Lampona cylindrata, and Lampona murina. The name “White-tail” can be applied quite generally across a whole family of spiders (Lamponidae), many of which are very similar in appearance.
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