Atrax robustus group
How to Identify a Funnel-Web Spider in Australia
Glossy, robust, dark NSW spider associated with silk-lined burrows around the Sydney region and nearby eastern NSW.
Medical emergency potentialSydney funnel-web spiders are one of the highest-priority spiders to rule out when a dark, robust spider is found in NSW. Their main known range is the Sydney region from the Central Coast south toward the Georges River, west toward Baulkham Hills, with some records from the Blue Mountains and Wollongong. The useful field pattern is a glossy, stocky dark spider associated with a silk-lined ground retreat or burrow, not an ordinary wall web. Mouse and trapdoor spiders can look similar, so a photo should never be used to downgrade suspected bite risk: do not handle the spider and follow urgent medical guidance for any suspected bite.
Quick identification
- Glossy dark body
- Robust build with strong front legs
- Often near a silk-lined burrow or damp sheltered area
- NSW range clue: Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and nearby eastern NSW areas
What to check next
Check whether the NSW range, burrow or pool-filter clue, shiny dark body and robust build all fit. Do not handle it.
When to seek medical help
Suspected funnel-web bite should be treated as urgent. Call 000 for serious symptoms and seek emergency care immediately.
Where it is usually seen
Damp gardens, burrows, logs, rockeries, pool filters and sheltered NSW habitats, especially around Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Wollongong records.