White Tail Spider
The white tailed spider (Lampona cylindrata) is commonly found in homes throughout Australia. It tends to hide in bedding, or within clothes left on the floor.
After a medical report in 1987, the bite of a white tailed spider was linked with necrotising arachnidism, a type of skin inflammation and ulceration. However more recent research suggests that the white tailed spider bite is probably not linked to necrotising arachnidism. Occasionally, weals, blistering or local ulceration have been reported – conditions known medically as necrotising arachnidism.
In most cases, the bite from a white tailed spider only causes a mild reaction, including itching and skin discolouration, which usually resolves after a few weeks. There are no specific first aid treatments for a white tailed spider bite, except the use of icepacks to help relieve the swelling. You should not use antibiotics. Always see your doctor if any spider bite does not clear up.
Seek advice from your local council or professional pest controllers on how to eliminate the white tailed spider from your home.
The white tailed spider and the black house spider, also found in Australia, have both been linked to necrotising arachnidism. However, a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia in 2003 examined 130 confirmed cases of white tailed spider bites and found that none had caused necrotising arachnidism.
The study found most bites happened indoors, in warmer months and at night. In two-thirds of cases, the spider was caught in bedclothes, towels or clothing. Most bites were painful, with some redness and itching. Nearly half the cases had a persistent, painful red lesion, but none of the lesions were found to be necrotic.
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