The katipō is a small to medium-sized spider. Other common names include red katipō, black katipō and New Zealand's redback. This name was apparently given to the species owing to the Māori belief that the spiders bite at night. The common name katipō (singular and plural), often spelled 'katipo', is from the Māori for 'night stinger', derived from the words kakati (to sting) and pō (the night). They are commonly known as tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders or comb-footed spiders. The katipō's family Theridiidae has a large number of species both in New Zealand and worldwide. Further research has shown that the katipō is distinct from the redback, having slight structural differences and striking differences in habitat preference, and it remains a distinct species. The katipō is so closely related to the redback that it was at one stage thought to be a subspecies, with the proposed name Latrodectus hasseltii katipo. katipo, with colour variation that is clinal over latitude and correlated with mean annual temperature. atritus (black katipō) were previously thought to be two separate species, but research has shown that they are a single species, L. The katipō's closest relative is the Australian redback spider ( Latrodectus hasseltii). Spiders of the genus Latrodectus have a worldwide distribution and include all of the commonly known widow spiders: the North American black widow spider ( Latrodectus mactans), the brown widow ( Latrodectus geometricus), and the European black widow ( Latrodectus tredecimguttatus). The katipō is particularly notable in New Zealand as the nation is almost entirely devoid of dangerous native wildlife this unique status means the spider is well known, despite being rarely seen.Īlthough the 'kātĕpo' was reported to the Linnean Society as early as 1855, the spider was formally described as Latrodectus katipo by L. Bites are rare, an antivenom is available, and no deaths have been reported since 1901. Due to habitat loss and colonisation of their natural habitat by other exotic spiders, the katipō is threatened with extinction.Ī katipō bite produces the toxic syndrome latrodectism symptoms include extreme pain and, potentially, hypertension, seizure, or coma. The spiderlings hatch during January and February and disperse into surrounding plants. Katipō feed mainly on ground dwelling insects, caught in an irregular tangled web spun amongst dune plants or other debris.Īfter mating in August or September, the female katipō produces five or six egg sacs in November or December. They are found throughout most of coastal New Zealand except the far south and west.

Katipō are mainly found living in sand dunes close to the seashore. The male is much smaller than the female and quite different in appearance: white with black stripes and red diamond-shaped markings.

These two forms were previously thought to be separate species. In black katipō females found in the upper half of the North Island, this stripe is absent, pale, yellow, or replaced with cream-coloured blotches. Red katipō females found in the South Island and the lower half of the North Island, are always black, and their abdomen has a distinctive red stripe bordered in white. It is a small to medium-sized spider, with the female having a round black or brown pea-sized body. The species is venomous to humans, capable of delivering a potentially dangerous bite. hasseltii), and the North American black widow. It is one of many species in the genus Latrodectus, such as the Australian redback ( L. The katipō ( Latrodectus katipo) is an endangered species of spider native to New Zealand.

Redback spider predators