Badumna insignis
Identify a Black House Spider in Australia
Dark, sturdy house spider that builds messy lace-like webs around windows, walls, fences and crevices.
Usually low riskBlack house spiders are common around Australian houses and are frequent false alarms for more dangerous dark spiders. The key distinction is their permanent messy lace-like web with a retreat hole around a window frame, wall, fence or crevice. A glossy dark spider wandering from a ground burrow calls for a different safety assessment, whereas a spider sitting in this established wall web is more consistent with a black house spider. Compare the web, body finish and location before deciding, and avoid handling any unidentified dark spider.
Quick identification
- Dark charcoal to black spider
- Often in a messy web with a retreat hole
- Common around windows, walls and fences
- Less glossy and less robust than funnel-webs
What to check next
Check if it sits in a permanent messy wall or window web rather than roaming from a burrow.
When to seek medical help
Seek advice for severe pain, allergic symptoms or uncertainty after any bite.
Where it is usually seen
Window frames, fences, tree trunks, walls, sheds and crevices around houses.