What is a spider?

Insect or spider?

Part of story: Spiders and other arachnids

Venomous spiders

New Zealand has no harmful animals like venomous snakes, scorpions or venomous insects, so its sole venomous native spider – the rare katipō – has almost mythical status.

Part of story: Spiders and other arachnids

Spiders and other arachnids

New Zealand’s spiders are mostly harmless to humans, busily trapping or hunting a vast number of insects.

Part of story: Spiders and other arachnids

Araneomorphs

Most New Zealand spiders are araneomorphs. Their fangs move sideways (imagine your thumb and forefinger coming together) rather than up and down like the mygalomorphs’.

Part of story: Spiders and other arachnids

Webs

Why do spiders produce webs?

Part of story: Spiders and other arachnids

Mygalomorphs – tarantula relatives

Only about 10% of New Zealand spiders are mygalomorphs, but this group includes some of the more spectacular species.

Part of story: Spiders and other arachnids

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