Identifying white-tailed spiders - Lampona murina and L. cylindrata
- Cylindrical bodies with a distinct white spot on the tip of the dark grey abdomen.
The common Southern and Eastern White-tailed Spiders are dark grey, cylindrical spiders, sometimes with a dull reddish tinge on the carapace, and have dark grey-brown banded legs. Males are about 12 mm, females up to 18 mm long. As well as the distinct white spot at its tip, the abdomen also has two pairs of faint white spots (less distinct in adults). Male spiders have a hard, narrow plate or scute on the front of the abdomen.
Female White-tailed Spider (Lampona murina). Photo: M Gray © Australian Museum.
White-tailed spider on a boot. These spiders are often found in houses. Photo: © P German.
