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New Zealand is fortunate in having very few arthropods that pose a threat to human health. Among the spiders (Araneae), the native katipo Latrodectus katipo (Theridiidae) is the only native species that is a considered dangerous to people, but it is not aggressive1 and bites on humans are rare.
The introduced redback spider Latrodectus hasseltii, on the other hand, is larger and more aggressive, and in its native Australia hundreds of people are bitten each year.2 However, in New Zealand populations of redbacks have been recorded only in Central Otago and New Plymouth.3
While Australian white-tail spiders (Lampona cylindrata and L. murina) are commonly thought to cause serious bites, this reputation is largely undeserved. Although their bites are painful, other clinical effects are generally minor.4-6
Despite the relative lack of venomous native spiders of concern in New Zealand, alleged spider bites were blamed for over 20,000 ACC claims during 2005-6.7 While we remain sceptical that these were all genuine spider bites,5 it is highly likely that at least some were. Therefore, even if only a very small percentage of these claims were correctly diagnosed, it means that numerous spider bites do occur in New Zealand.
Although there are accounts of spider bites inflicted by native species,1,8-11 these are rare. There are over 1100 named species of spiders described from New Zealand, approximately 95% of which are unique to this country.12 While many species are either too small to bite or are unlikely to be encountered by people, there are still species with undocumented bite effects that do not fit either category.
We describe a case of a bite by Trite planiceps (Salticidae, black headed jumping spider), a native species commonly encountered around homes.
Case report
The case occurred in the suburb of Johnsonville (Wellington) in October 2009. On awaking at approximately 7:30 am after a night's sleep, a 23-year old man rolled over in his bed. He became instantly aware of a relatively painful, sting-like, sensation between his lower shoulder blades. He immediately sat up, pulling the t-shirt he was wearing over his head, at which point a spider fell from it onto the bed.
He killed the spider by hitting it with his t-shirt. Immediately afterwards, apart from the discomfort, he was noted to...