Another Aussie Icon the Redback Spider.

The redback spider is closely related to the black widow spider of the United States and the katipo of New Zealand. The female redback spider is black with a distinctive red or orange marking on its back, although this may sometimes be absent. These markings may be broken into spots in front and, sometimes, thin white lines may be visible. The female can grow up to 15mm long. Males are very small and usually only grow up to 5mm long. The female is the only one capable of harming humans as the male’s fangs are incapable of penetrating human skin. The male is short-lived and has more complex markings than those of the female, incorporating white and sometimes yellow markings.