Hadronyche venenata
Tasmanian Funnel-Web Spider (Hadronyche venenata) Identification
A Tasmanian Hadronyche funnel-web that needs specialist examination for a species name; treat a plausible funnel-web bite as an emergency.
Medical emergency potentialHadronyche venenata is the Tasmanian funnel-web spider in the family Atracidae. A glossy, compact dark spider at a silk-lined ground retreat in Tasmania can justify a cautious funnel-web possibility, but an ordinary photograph cannot reliably separate this species from other mygalomorph spiders or prove a Hadronyche name.
Quick identification
- Glossy dark, compact mygalomorph body with powerful downward fangs
- Tasmania is an essential range filter, not a species confirmation
- Ground-level shelter such as a decaying log, rock edge or silk-lined retreat
- Species confirmation requires adult anatomical characters examined by an expert
What to check next
Keep a safe distance and use Tasmania, the whole body and the retreat only as supporting clues. Do not touch the spider or probe the retreat. Treat a plausible Australian funnel-web bite as an emergency.
When to seek medical help
Treat a suspected Australian funnel-web bite as an emergency. Call 000, keep the person still and apply pressure immobilisation to a bitten limb if trained and available. Do not wait for a photo identification.
Where it is usually seen
Tasmanian ground habitat, including forest litter, decaying logs, rock or soil edges, damp sheltered gardens and silk-lined retreats. The type locality is near Hobart, and museum material supports eastern and south-eastern Tasmanian localities.