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Story: Coastal shoreline

Katipō spider

Katipō spider

Katipō spiders live among clumps of sand-dune vegetation or under driftwood, and are nocturnal. The female, shown here, is about the size of a pea – six times larger than the male. She can deliver a venomous bite, which causes fever, muscle tremors and vomiting. The English translation of katipō is ‘night stinger’.

About this item

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira
Photograph by John Early

Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff. 'Coastal shoreline', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 24-Sep-11
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/coastal-shoreline/5/3