Spider poison Katipo - one of the world's most exclusive spiders

Latrodectus katipo (commonly referred to as katipo) is an endangered spider native to New Zealand. One member of the genus Latrodectus, it is related to the Australian red-backed spider, and the North American widow spider. This is a species that can be toxic to humans, with a relatively dangerous bite. Katipo is a Māori name and means "night prick".

Spider Katipo female.

It is a small spider to fit in females with a special black body with red stripes with white borders on its back. Males are much smaller in size than females and quite different in shape, white with black and red stripes marked with diamonds. Katipo has a narrow habitat, found only in sand dunes near the coast. They cover most of New Zealand's coastal areas, but are not found in the southern region. They weave an unusually messy network between sand dunes and other debris, which feed primarily on ground insects.

After mating in August or September, the female lays five or six egg bags in November or December. The eggs hatch in January and February and the young ones disperse into the surrounding plants. Due to the loss of habitat and colonization of natural habitats by other strange spiders, katipo is facing the risk of extinction.

A bite from katipo creates a toxic syndrome known as latrodectism . Symptoms include extreme pain and potentially systemic effects, such as hypertension, seizures or coma. Few cases of spider bites and no deaths have been reported since the 19th century. Anti-venom drugs are available in New Zealand for treatment. Katipo is particularly noteworthy in New Zealand as the country is almost entirely devoid of dangerous wildlife. This unique situation has led to the spider becoming famous, although it is rarely seen.