Illawarra wisharti
Illawarra Funnel-Web Spider Identification in Australia
Rare, range-restricted NSW funnel-web and the sole species in genus Illawarra, associated with wet Illawarra forest and concealed litter-opening retreats; any suspected bite is an emergency.
Medical emergency potentialThe Illawarra funnel-web, Illawarra wisharti, is a distinct Australian funnel-web species—not Hadronyche wisharti—and the only member of its genus. It is known from wet forest in the Illawarra and adjoining south-coast region of New South Wales. A likely field match begins with the funnel-web family: a robust mygalomorph body, glossy sparsely haired carapace, close-set eyes, powerful downward-pointing jaws and paired rear spinnerets. Its retreat may open beneath litter without the obvious radiating trip lines expected around many funnel-web burrows. Locality and retreat support a cautious match, but species identification requires adult anatomical characters. Never handle or provoke one for a photograph.
Quick identification
- Robust dark mygalomorph with glossy, sparsely haired carapace and no obvious body pattern
- Eyes grouped tightly; strong vertical jaws and paired spinnerets at the abdomen tip
- Wet-forest locality in the Illawarra or nearby NSW south coast is essential context
- Silk-lined ground retreat may open within litter and lack obvious radiating trip lines
- Species certainty needs expert examination of adult legs and reproductive anatomy
What to check next
Stay at least a container-length away and photograph only with zoom: whole dorsal body, rear spinnerets, exact locality and the undisturbed retreat. Do not insert objects into the hole. Treat any plausible atracid from this region as a funnel-web for safety even when the species cannot be confirmed.
When to seek medical help
Treat every suspected bite from an Illawarra funnel-web or any unidentified funnel-web as a medical emergency. Call 000 immediately. Keep the person still and lying down. Apply a pressure-immobilisation bandage over the bite and firmly up the whole limb, then splint it; do not remove the bandage until medical care. Do not wash the bite, cut it, suck venom, use a tourniquet or apply ice. Mark the bite site on the bandage if known. If breathing or circulation stops, begin CPR. Sydney funnel-web antivenom is used for serious eastern Australian funnel-web envenoming, but hospital clinicians make that decision. Do not delay first aid to catch the spider; a photo from a safe distance is enough.
Where it is usually seen
Wet forest and rainforest-type ground habitat of the Illawarra and adjoining south-coast New South Wales, including deep litter, sheltered soil, beneath rocks or logs and moist crevices. The original revision records localities including Willowvale west of Gerringong, Unanderra and Ulladulla. This is not an Australia-wide garden spider, and a Wollongong postcode alone cannot prove the species.