Red Back Spider vs Antaresia

[Darlyn]

What a beautiful spider, awesome critters.
Lucky to be able to witness that.

I wonder what your mate did when he needed to use the vehicle?

 

[lizardjasper]

Red-back spiders are not introduced, they're native. Well that's what I was always taught anyway...
now a black widow is very similar but it's the American version of our red-back.'
Poor snake. shudder...
Sorry about your velvet gecko AusHerps. That sucks.

 

[Shotta]

whats the difference between redback and black widow? they both look the same to me is the black widow bigger?

 

[lizardjasper]

I dunno biologically but it's the location. Red-back = Australia Black Widow = America

 

[junglelover01]

That's a hefty sized redback!

 

[SteveNT]

No-one knows if redbacks are native. First recorded 1850 in SA but not in the other colonies for some time later. May be introduced as it's hard to imagine nobody noticed them for decades.

Oh yea, we recently accidentally exported them to Japan. Some of my older friends think it's appropriate lol.

 

[lizardjasper]

No-one knows if redbacks are native. First recorded 1850 in SA but not in the other colonies for some time later. May be introduced as it's hard to imagine nobody noticed them for decades.

Oh yea, we recently accidentally exported them to Japan. Some of my older friends think it's appropriate lol.

Oh well. Red back spiders - Native to Australia since 1850! Also available in Japan...

 

[Elapidae1]

No-one knows if redbacks are native. First recorded 1850 in SA but not in the other colonies for some time later. May be introduced as it's hard to imagine nobody noticed them for decades.

Oh yea, we recently accidentally exported them to Japan. Some of my older friends think it's appropriate lol.

Yes but they are endemic to Australia and therefore it's also hard to imagine that if they occurred elsewhere and were introduced from that place then they also went unnoticed there.

 

[Ryderthefrog]

Wow that's crazy never thought I'd be seeing that. Cheers for sharing.

 

[Gonemad]

That's unbelievable! Poor snake!

 

[Bluetonguesblack]

I have 2 young kids and a lot of Redbacks here so therefore my priorities lie with my kids safety. So when i find a Redback it gets squashed with my finger. I`ve done it dozens and dozens of times.

 

[SteveNT]

Yes but they are endemic to Australia and therefore it's also hard to imagine that if they occurred elsewhere and were introduced from that place then they also went unnoticed there.

Or is it? The redback and black widow are extremely close and there is a lot of confusion within the genus. Either way they're locals now. It is interesting if you look at the records that they start in Adelaide, then move to eastern capitals then spread from those centres. They are just starting to appear in Arnhem Land, being spread via human elements (trucks, barges, etc).

 

[imported_Varanus]

I've rarely found them (redbacks) in natural bush environments, usually only in/around man made habitats??

 

[Snowman]

By some of the logic on this thread you'd believe that rough scales pythons are introduced.
Anyways...


It was once thought that the Redback Spider, Latrodectus hasselti, was a sub species of the Black Widow Spider but it is now known to be a distinct species.

It has also been suggested by some workers that the Redback may not be native to Australia but have been introduced since European settlement, although it's not clear where they originated.

Recent research on the DNA sequences of all recognized Latrodectus species indicates that the Redback is a distinct species, most closely related to the New Zealand Katipo, and probably an Australian native.

 

[outbackstorm]

It was once thought that the Redback Spider, Latrodectus hasselti, was a sub species of the Black Widow Spider but it is now known to be a distinct species.

It has also been suggested by some workers that the Redback may not be native to Australia but have been introduced since European settlement, although it's not clear where they originated.

Recent research on the DNA sequences of all recognized Latrodectus species indicates that the Redback is a distinct species, most closely related to the New Zealand Katipo, and probably an Australian native.

I just read that website where you got that information from too, I was under the impression that they were introduced, I guess I stand corrected.

 

[Wing_Nut]

I've rarely found them (redbacks) in natural bush environments, usually only in/around man made habitats??

European settlement has affected the distribution of many species, and in the case of the Redback Spider, it has simply provided everything they need to thrive, habitat (buildings, wood piles, drains etc) and a ready source food.

 

[BIGBANG]

Oh well. Red back spiders - Native to Australia since 1850! Also available in Japan...

wonder if the ones over there have made in Australia stamped on them

 

[Variety]

I wonder who was the aggressor here,
Is it just me or does that look like a monster of a spider ?

 

[Snowman]

I wonder who was the aggressor here,
Is it just me or does that look like a monster of a spider ?

It's only 2cm. They can get up to 4cm.

 

[Echiopsis]

Latrodectus webs are perfect for trapping terrestrial inverts and sometimes verts. Theres multiple 'trip wires' than hang down and are secured to the ground. When something stumbles into them the web is often dislodged, pulling the critter off the ground and entangling it further. I had a red back in the shed a couple of years back feeding on a good sized Hemiergis.

As far as the distro goes, I see them quite regularly in cave entrances and gorges in remote parts of the Pilbara. They're around, just not as common (or visible) in natural scrub as they are in suburbia.

Nice pics, the sort of thing I tend to come across when the camera is back in the donga :lol: