Black House Spider - Badumna insignis (former Ixeuticus robustus)
- Leg to leg 15mm
- In Brisbane, Black House Spiders are common in gardens, corners of windows and tree trunks. They build tangled webs with funnel shaped tunnels. In front of the tunnel there is usually the sail-like panel web. They can be found on tree trunk or at the corner of a widows. The Spiders are dark brown in colour with legs shiny brown. Their heads are black in colour. There are the fines patterns on their abdomen. This spider is known to bite and may cause severe effect.
- The males can be seen at night wandering and searching for the female. In the first photo the spider is living with its young. The second pictures shows the typical tangle web of Black House Spider, notice the tunnel entry.
- Black House Spiders making its web outside its retreat. Every evening the spider either repairs the web or extends it. The prey, usually small insects, that lands on the web is caught and consumed in the retreat.
This page contains pictures and information about Black House Spiders that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
The Black House Spider is known to attack Red Back Spider (1st picture) which is danger to human.
- Reference:
- 1. Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum 1995, p26.
- 2. Black house spider - The Find-a-spider Guide for Australian Spiders, University of Southern Queensland, 2007.
- 1. Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum 1995, p26.
- 3. Australian Spiders in colour - Ramon Mascord, Reed Books Pty Ltd, 1970, p22.
- 4. A Guide to Australian Spiders - Densey Clyne, Melbourne, Nelson 1969, p33, Fig 35.
