Bug FAQRedback Spider
Latrodectus hasselti · Order: Araneae · Family: Theridiidae
Also called: Red-back Spider, jockey spider
Source: Wikipedia
The female redback is about 1 cm long, black with a red stripe on top and an hour-glass mark underneath. It builds untidy webs in warm, sheltered spots near homes and is responsible for many serious bites in Australia. Venom is neurotoxic, causing severe pain that can last over a day, and antivenom has been available since 1956.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Females have a round black abdomen with a red stripe on top and an hour-glass red or orange mark underneath.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adult females are about 10 mm long, while males are only 3 to 4 mm. The female’s body is roughly 1 cm with longer front legs than the others.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Their preference for built structures leads to many serious bites in Australia.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
Redback bites are medically serious and cause intense pain that spreads up the limb and can last more than a day.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
An antivenom for redback bites has been available since 1956.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Females live in messy webs in warm, sheltered places, often near or inside human homes. They are mainly active at night.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It catches insects, other spiders and small vertebrates in its web. Males and spiderlings often hang around the female’s web and steal leftovers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
After mating, females store sperm for up to two years and can lay several egg sacs. Each egg sac contains about 250 eggs and is a round white silk ball.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Females are mainly nocturnal and live in warm, sheltered spots near homes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The redback spider originates in Australia. It has also been found in Southeast Asia, Japan, New Zealand and in shipping crates in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
Do redback spiders bite people?
Yes, their bite is neurotoxic and can cause severe, long-lasting pain.
Source: Wikipedia
How is a redback bite treated?
Antivenom has been used to treat serious redback bites since 1956.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are redback spiders likely to be found in a house?
They build untidy webs in warm, sheltered spots near or inside homes, especially at night.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the native range of the redback spider?
It is native to Australia but has spread to parts of Asia, New Zealand and occasionally appears in the United States via shipping crates.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Theridiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.