![]() ![]() 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. ![]()
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