Spiders in New Zealand

Spiders in New Zealand
What to look out for and keeping yourself safe

New Zealand is home to about 2500 kinds of spiders, most of them harmless to people. Only some spiders are capable of biting humans. There are three species of spiders in New Zealand that should be avoided - the Katipo, the Redback and the White-tailed Spider.

The katipo (Latrodectus katipo) and the redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) belong to belong to the same genus as the American black widow spider. These two are the only venomous spiders found in New Zealand. In both species it is the adult females that are capable of biting humans. Bites from both species are extremely rare and there is a safe and effective antivenom for both redback and katipo bites.

Document availability

This publication is available in hard copy from Health Education Resources as publication MOH 1424. To order visit the Health Education Resources website .

You can download this pamphlet in PDF format below.

Spiders in New Zealand (PDF, 295kB)

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