Adults are about 15 mm in body length and of a dark brown to black velvet textured appearance.

These are timid spiders with bites occurring infrequently. The bite of the Black House Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Certain people bitten experience severe pain around the bite site, heavy sweating, muscular pains, vomiting, headaches and giddiness. Use an ice pack to relieve local pain and seek medical attention is the symptoms persist.

This spider spins a lacy, messy web and is prefers dry habitats in secluded locations. It is commonly found in window framing, under eaves, gutters, in brickwork, sheds, toilets and among rocks and bark. Electric lights attract their prey - moths, flies, mosquitoes and other insects.

Australia-wide.

The male Sydney funnel-web spider is about 25 mm and the female about 30 mm in body length. They are shiny black in colour with a dark purplish brown abdomen with a covering of reddish hairs. Unique identification markings include it's long spinnerets, that is, the two appendages on the end of the abdomen. Also the male Sydney funnel-web spider has a distinctive spur on both it's second front legs

The Sydney Funnel-Web Spider is one of the world's most deadly spiders. Both the male and female carry atraxotoxin, one of the world's most dangerous toxins. The male Sydney funnel web spider is highly aggressive when disturbed or cornered and is able to inflict multiple bites, with its "flick-knife" hardened fangs.

The bite is dangerous and can cause serious illness or death. The male venom is more toxic than the female and initial symptoms include local pain, mouth numbness, vomiting, abdominal pain, sweating and salivation. There is an anti-venom available.

Bites are usually on a limb. Immediate action should be taken to apply a pressure bandage and immobilise the bitten limb by splinting. Restrict the movement of the victim. If possible, capture the spider for positive identification.

Funnel-web burrows are distinguished from other holes in the ground by the presence of a series of irregular silk 'trip-lines' radiating out from the entrance. Holes are normally found in moist, shaded areas like rockeries, dense shrubs, logs and leaf litter. A small, neat hole lined with a collar of silk which does not extend more than a centimetre from the rim could belong to a trapdoor spider (the common Brown Trapdoor Spider does not build a 'door' for its burrow). Other possible hole owners include mouse spiders, wolf spiders or insects (most commonly cicadas or ants).

The female Funnel-web does not normally leave her burrow, but may be unearthed by excavations, rubbish removal or gardening, or be driven out by heavy rain. Male Funnel-webs leave their burrows to search for females in summer and autumn, and are normally active at night. Wandering spiders are frequently encountered after a period of wet weather.

The Sydney Funnel-Web Spider is a ground dweller, commonly found in moist soil areas along much of the eastern coastal area of New South Wales and Victoria.

The Blue Mountains funnel-web spider is found in the Blue Mountains area, as far west as the Bathurst - Orange region and occasionally in the Sydney basin.

An adult varies greatly around 15 mm in body length - has long legs - the diameter of an adult including legs may reach 45 mm - the first 2 pairs of legs are longer than rear two - it is hairy - buff to beige brown in colour, with dark patches on the body.

The bite of Huntsman Spiders is of low risk (non toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. However, a large individual can give a painful bite. Beware in summer when the female Huntsman Spider is guarding her egg sacs or young.

A hunter that prefers to live under the flaking bark of trees, under flat rocks and under eaves or within roof spaces of buildings. The Huntsman Spider often wanders into homes and is found perched on a wall. It is a shy, timid spider that can move sideways at lighting-fast speed when disturbed.

Australia-wide.

A medium to large spider of up to 35 mm in body length. The male Mouse Spider often has a bright red head and elongated fangs.

The Mouse Spider is often mistaken for the Funnel-Web Spider. The main differences being the Funnel-Web has much longer spinnerets (the 2 appendages on the end of the abdomen) and the male funnel-web has a spur on it's second leg.

Known to cause severe illness, especially to young children - similar to Red-Back Spider. Although normally not aggressive, the male mouse spider will bite if provoked, and should be considered dangerous to humans. It has large hard fangs which can cause a deep painful bite. First aid and medical attention (ambulance) should be sought as soon as possible.

Mouse spiders are ground dwellers with burrows of more than 1 metre deep. The male often wanders about during the day on open ground, especially after rain, in search of females.

Australia-wide.

An adult is about 20 mm to 30 mm in body length - has a bulbous abdomen - often colorful - dark to light brown pattern. The common Golden Orb-Weaver Spider has a purplish bulbous abdomen with fine hairs.

The bite of Orb-Weaving Spiders is of low risk (not toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. Seldom bite.

Often found in summer in garden areas around the home - they spin a large circular web of 2 metres or more, often between buildings and shrubs, to snare flying insects, such as, flies and mosquitoes.

Australia-wide, particularly common in bushland along the eastern coastal areas.

The body of an adult redback is about 1/2 inch long. The female redback is normally shiny black, with a red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. The marking may range in color from yellowish orange to red and its shape may range from an hourglass to a dot.

The Redback Spider can inflict a painful bite which can be fatal, especially to the young and elderly. An effective anti-venom was developed in 1956.

Only a small amount of venom can cause serious illness, as the poison attacks the nervous system. Systemic envenomisation usually results in headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, pyrexia and hypertension.

The pain around the bite area can be excruciating or it may go unnoticed. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, if bitten. If you have a heart condition you may need hospitalization.

Prefers dry habitats - often found in out-houses, letter boxes, undersides of seats, in rubbish, such as empty cans, in the sub floor and other dark areas. Electric lights attract their prey - moths, flies, mosquitoes and other insects.

Redbacks produce messy, irregular webs. Webs usually are located near ground level and under a protected ledge such as under lawn furniture or wood piles. The female with the iconic red hourglass marking also indicates their presence.

Australia-wide.

Slender Sac Spiders make small cylindrical or ovoid silk retreat sacs. They have slender bodies, large jaws and long, thin legs, with the males being especially slender. Most are shades of cream, brown or yellow, with a darker stripe along the upper abdomen. The jaws of the male spider are particularly enlarged.

The Stout Sac Spiders have stronger legs with robust, cylindrical bodies, reddish-brown to fawn in colour, often with chevron patterning on abdomen.

Sac spider size range from 9mm-15mm.

These are timid spiders with bites occurring infrequently. The bite of the Black House Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Certain people bitten experience severe pain around the bite site, heavy sweating, muscular pains, vomiting, headaches and giddiness. Use an ice pack to relieve local pain and seek medical attention is the symptoms persist.

Slender Sac Spiders are common hunters on foliage in bush and garden. They make their retreat sacs in folded leaves or grass blades, but sometimes enter houses, building their retreat sacs in wall and ceiling corners. Stout Sac Spiders may be found on house walls and fences but are most common under bark and in leaf litter. Their sheet-like sac retreats are often found under bark.

Sac spiders are found throughout Australia in forest and grassland habitats.

5 to 15 mm in body length - abdomen striped yellow and brown - as illustrated. The St Andrews Cross Spider usually sits, upside down, in the middle of it's web forming a cross.

The bite of the St Andrews Cross is of low risk (non-toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders.

This spider is a web-weaver usually found in summer in garden areas around the home. It is considered beneficial as it spins a large web to snare flying insects, such as flies and mosquitoes.

Australia-wide.

An adult is about 35 mm in body length - brown to dark brown in colour - heavily covered with fine hairs. The male has distinct boxing glove-shaped palps, that is, the two "sensory feelers" at front of it's head.

The bite of the Trap-Door Spider is of low risk (non toxic) to humans. It is a non-aggressive spider - usually timid but may stand up and present it's fangs if harassed. Rarely bites - but if so it can be painful.

This spider is a ground dweller, with a burrow retreat lined with silk of up to 250 mm in depth and around 25 mm in width - prefers nesting in drier exposed locations - often has a wafer-like lid on the burrow entrance. Trap-Door Spiders are commonly found in the drier open ground areas around the home.

Australia-wide.

Adult size varies 12 to 20 mm in body length - grey to black in colour with a white section on the end of it's tail.

The bite of a white-tail spider may cause nausea and burning pain followed by swelling and itchiness around the site of the bite.

In some rare but dramatic cases, a severe allergic reaction, blistering or ulceration of the skin, similar to gangrene, has been reported in the media and linked to the bite of a white-tail spider. However, this cause/effect relationship has not been proven conclusively to the satisfaction of some scientific researchers. Bacterial infection of the wound caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans carried on the fangs of the white-tail spider, may be a contributory factor. In any case, first aid and medical attention should be sought, if bitten, as and when any adverse health effects are observed.

Prefers cool moist location - commonly found in garden mulch areas. In summer, it often wanders into buildings, particularly bathrooms, to escape the heat.

Australia-wide.

An adult is 15 mm to 30 mm in body length - mottled grey to brown in colour, with a distinct Union Jack impression on it's back. The female carries it's young on it's back.

The bite of the Wolf Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Although non-aggressive, they bite freely if provoked and should be considered dangerous to humans. The bite may be very painful. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, particularly as to children or the elderly.

This spider is a ground dweller, with a burrow retreat. It has a roving nocturnal lifestyle to hunt their prey and can move very rapidly when disturbed. Commonly found around the home, in garden areas with a silk lined burrow, sometimes with a lid or covered by leaf litter or grass woven with silk as a little fence around the rim of the burrow.

Australia-wide.