Spiders of New Zealand

New Zealand has an estimated 2,000 species of spiders, with over 1,100 species described scientifically. Over 90 per cent are endemic, with the approximately 70 non-endemic species being introduced through association with humans or by natural processes such as ballooning.

The New Zealand spider with the largest leg span is the Nelson cave spider (Spelungula cavernicola), with a leg span of up to 13 centimetres (5.1 in) and a 3 centimetres (1.2 in) body length.

The flat huntsman spider (Delena cancerides), called the Avondale spider in New Zealand, was accidentally introduced from Australia in the early 1920s, possibly in shipments of hardwood logs used for railway sleepers. It is considered harmless to humans, and individuals have been collected for use in at least two films.

Very few New Zealand spiders have bites that can cause significant injury to humans, and of these, only one – the katipō – is endemic. Katipō bites have been known to cause systemic effects, such as hypertension, seizure, or coma, though no deaths as a result of katipō bites have been recorded for over 200 years. Its more dangerous close relative, the venomous Australian redback spider, has established a foothold in some parts of New Zealand, notably in Taranaki and Central Otago. The Australian white-tailed spider, first recorded in New Zealand in 1886, has been falsely attributed as the cause of many necrotising spider bites.