Illawarra wisharti facts for kids

Illawarra is a special type of genus of Australian Australian funnel-web spiders. It's called a monotypic genus because it only contains one known species: Illawarra wisharti. This spider was first discovered and described by Michael R. Gray in 2010. You can only find it in the Illawarra region, which is in southern New South Wales, Australia. It belongs to a group of spiders called Atracinae, also known as Australian funnel-web spiders. Some spiders in this group have venom that can be dangerous to humans. The name Illawarra comes from the region where it was found, and wisharti honors Graeme Wishart, who collected many spiders in that area.

What Does the Illawarra Funnel-web Spider Look Like?

When fully grown, male Illawarra wisharti spiders are about 15 millimeters (about 0.6 inches) long. Their carapace (the hard upper shell of their front body part) and abdomen (their back body part) are usually about the same length. The carapace is typically around 8 millimeters long, but it can range from 7 to 10 millimeters. Their fourth leg is the longest, measuring about 23 millimeters (almost an inch).

These spiders are mostly brown. They have a clear pattern of narrow V-shapes, called chevrons, on their abdomen. Female spiders are similar in size and look to the males. Interestingly, people have said they have an "ant-like" smell!

How Are Males and Females Different?

Male Illawarra wisharti spiders are unique compared to other funnel-web spiders. They have a wide row of spines in the middle of the underside (the ventral side) of the tarsi (the very end part of their legs, like our foot) on all four of their legs.

Female spiders can be told apart by their first leg. This leg doesn't have spines. Also, the metatarsus (the leg segment just before the tarsus) is partly joined to the tarsus. They also have larger claws on their tarsi.

Where Do They Live?

The Illawarra wisharti spider lives in burrows. You can find these burrows in the ground, hidden in leaf litter, or under rocks.

Is Its Venom Dangerous?

In 2001, scientists studied the peptides (small protein parts) found in the venom of funnel-web spiders. They discovered that the venom from Illawarra wisharti was similar to that of Atrax robustus. Atrax robustus is a type of funnel-web spider known to cause serious problems if it bites humans.

However, it's important to know that Illawarra wisharti is not one of the six funnel-web species officially listed as dangerous to humans.