Katipo

The **katipo** (*Latrodectus katipo*) is an endangered species of spider native to New Zealand. It is one of many species in the genus *Latrodectus*, such as the Australian redback (*L. hasseltii*), and the North American black widows. The species is venomous to humans, capable of delivering a comparatively dangerous bite. The name katipo (plural: katipo) is from the Māori *katipō,* meaning "night-stinger". It is a small to medium-sized spider, with the female having a round black or brown pea-sized body. Red katipo 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. In black katipo females, found in the upper half of the North Island, this stripe is absent, pale, yellow, or replaced with cream-coloured blotches. These two forms were previously thought to be separate species. The male is much smaller than the female and quite different in appearance: white with black stripes and red diamond-shaped markings. Katipo are mainly found living in sand dunes close to the seashore. They are found throughout most of coastal New Zealand except the far south and west. Katipo feed mainly on ground dwelling insects, caught in an irregular tangled web spun amongst dune plants or other debris,

After mating in August or September, the female katipo produces five or six egg sacs in November or December. The spiderlings hatch during January and February and disperse into surrounding plants. Due to habitat loss and colonisation of their natural habitat by other exotic spiders, the katipo is threatened with extinction.

A katipo bite produces the toxic syndrome latrodectism; symptoms include extreme pain and, potentially, hypertension, seizure, or coma. Bites are rare, an antivenomis available, and no deaths have been reported since 1901. The katipo is particularly notable in New Zealand as the nation is almost entirely devoid of dangerous native wildlife; this unique status means the spider is well known, despite being rarely seen.

## Description

The katipo is a small to medium-sized spider. The mature female has a body size of about 8 millimetres (0.31 in) with a leg span of up to 32 millimetres (1.3 in). The red katipo female, found in the South Island and the lower North Island, has a large black globular abdomen, about the size of a garden pea, with slender legs and a white-bordered orange or red stripe on its back that runs from the uppermost surface of the abdomen back to the spinnerets. The dark velvet-black abdomen is described as satin or silky in appearance, rather than being shiny. The underside of the abdomen is black and has a red patch or partial red hourglass-shaped marking. It has mainly black legs with the extremities changing to brown. The black katipo female, found in the upper North Island, does not have a red stripe on the top of her body, and the abdominal colouration is usually lighter, but is otherwise very similar in appearance to the red katipo. The hourglass pattern on the underside of the abdomen may also be less distinct, losing the middle section, and may even be absent. Variations also exist whose abdomen, cephalothorax, or entire body is brown, sometimes with a dull red or yellow stripe, or cream-coloured spots on its upper side. These different forms were at one point thought to be different species, but a 2008 study demonstrated they were different morphs of the same species.

Adult males and juveniles are quite different in appearance to the female. They are smaller in size, being about one sixth the size of an adult female. Juveniles have a brown carapace, with a predominantly white abdomen which has a series of red-orange diamonds running along the dorsal region bordered on either side by irregular black lines. Males retain this coloration into adulthood. Due to its much smaller size, Urquhart (1886) believed the male to be a separate species and named it *Theridion melanozantha*. This was not rectified until 1933 when it was correctly identified as the male *Latrodectus katipo*.

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