Hadronyche versuta
Blue Mountains Funnel-Web Identification: H. versuta
Medically important NSW Hadronyche associated with rotting-log and stump retreats from the Blue Mountains through the Illawarra; exact identification usually needs an expert.
Medical emergency — call 000 for suspected biteThe Blue Mountains funnel-web, Hadronyche versuta, is a medically important Australian funnel-web spider named for one well-known part of a wider New South Wales range. Authoritative specimens extend from the Blue Mountains through the Southern Highlands, tablelands and Illawarra–South Coast region, with probable records near Eden. Look first for a robust dark funnel-web body, a hard glossy carapace, closely grouped eyes, powerful parallel-moving jaws and conspicuous rear spinnerets. A silk-lined retreat inside a rotting log or stump is especially useful habitat evidence. Male and female colour and proportions differ, and the exact characters separating H. versuta from neighbouring Hadronyche are microscopic. A photograph can support a funnel-web identification but must never be used to downgrade the urgency of a suspected bite.
Quick identification
- Robust dark mygalomorph with a glossy, mostly unpatterned carapace
- Small eyes grouped closely above the jaws and clearly projecting rear spinnerets
- Silk-lined retreat inside a rotting log, stump or wood cavity, often camouflaged with wood particles
- NSW locality from the Blue Mountains through Southern Highlands and Illawarra–South Coast records
- Male may show a paler front abdominal patch; female can have a dark maroon-brown abdomen
What to check next
From a safe distance, photograph the entire upper surface and rear spinnerets, then record body length, locality, date and whether the silk entrance was in rotten wood, a stump or soil. Never handle the spider or open its retreat to inspect hidden characters.
When to seek medical help
Treat a suspected bite as a medical emergency. Call Triple Zero (000) and ask for an ambulance, lie the person down and keep them still. Apply an elasticated pressure-immobilisation bandage over the bite and then over the entire bitten limb, and splint the limb, if you can do so safely; mark the bite site, note the time and wait for the ambulance. Do not delay first aid to catch, photograph or identify the spider. Healthdirect applies this response to funnel-web bites and bites from any big black spider. Confirmed H. versuta envenomation has required antivenom, so uncertainty about the exact species or a lack of early systemic symptoms is not reassurance.
Where it is usually seen
Cool forest, woodland, escarpment, garden and bush-edge habitat in New South Wales, particularly where rotting logs, stumps and timber cavities provide a protected silk-lined retreat. Wandering mature males can be found away from a retreat, including around buildings or pools.