- Missulena occatoria
-
Red-headed mouse spider 
Male M. occatoria Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Suborder: Mygalomorphae Family: Actinopodidae Genus: Missulena Species: M. occatoria Binomial name Missulena occatoria
Walckenaer, 1805
The red-headed mouse spider (Missulena occatoria) is found almost everywhere in Australia, from open forests to desert shrublands. It is the largest (females up to 24mm, males up to 12mm) and most widely distributed Missulena species, because the spiderlings are wind-dispersed (ballooning). Normally this only occurs with araneomorph spiders, mygalomorph spiders normally disperse by walking.The Red Headed Mouse spider also has very poisonous venom. If bitten go to the hospital immediately. No human deaths have been recorded though.
The spiders dig a burrow up to 55 cm deep, with two trapdoors.
While the females are black with a red tinge, the males have a bright red head and jaws, and a gunmetal blue-black abdomen.
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