Arbanitis robertsi
Roberts Tube Spider Identification in Australia
The NSW tube-building mygalomorph formerly called Misgolas robertsi. It is unrelated to the Ariadna tube-web spiders.
Avoid handling; bite effects uncertainAbout Roberts tube spider
Arbanitis robertsi is the currently accepted name for the spider listed in older sources as Misgolas robertsi. It belongs to Idiopidae and is recorded from New South Wales. The older genus name remains useful for finding literature, but it does not denote a separate species or subspecies.
The term tube spider is easily misread. In this case it refers to a mygalomorph associated with a silk-lined retreat, rather than the six-eyed Ariadna spiders on the tube-dwelling page. The 1992 revision treated tube-building Misgolas and distinguished robertsi using adult structures. Several related spiders share the general brown, robust appearance, so a tube or a NSW locality cannot confirm the species. Photograph only what is visible outside the shelter. Do not probe, flood or dismantle a retreat. Use the broader trapdoor and funnel-web comparisons when the animal cannot be identified safely.
Identification limit: this guide is a comparison aid. A name match in the identifier does not establish a species record.
Compare similar spiders
Sources and further reading
- World Spider Catalog: accepted name and synonym history
- Wishart: review of tube-building Misgolas
- Healthdirect: spider-bite first aid
Reviewed 21 September 2026. Identification guide; not a confirmed species diagnosis.
Quick identification
- New South Wales locality
- Robust mygalomorph rather than slender Ariadna body
- Silk-lined retreat is a supporting clue
- Search older literature under Misgolas robertsi
What to check next
Photograph the whole spider and its surroundings without disturbing it. Use the clues together; a close match is not a confirmed species identification.
When to seek medical help
Do not handle or probe the retreat. If a bite could be from a funnel-web or mouse spider, call 000 and follow pressure-immobilisation first aid. Do not wait for identification. Poisons advice: 13 11 26.
Where it is usually seen
New South Wales. Tube-building idiopid habitat; a generic hole, silk tube or dark wandering spider is insufficient for a species identification.