Black katipo

Taxobox
name = Black katipo


image_caption =
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regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Arachnida
ordo = Araneae
familia = Theridiidae
genus = "Latrodectus"
species = "L. atritus"
binomial = "Latrodectus atritus"
binomial_authority = Urquhart, 1890
range_

range_map_width = 250px

The black katipo, "Latrodectus atritus", is a venomous spider native to New Zealand. It is a widow spider like its relatives, the katipo, the Australian redback spider, and the American black widow spiders.

Description

The female of "L. atritus" is similar to that of "L. katipo", the red katipo, except for the missing white-bordered red stripe on the back of the abdomen. It is about 1 cm long, up to 4 cm including legs. The males of both species are mostly white, with a series of red-orange diamonds running along its back, bordered by irregular black lines. They are about one sixth the size of a female.Sutton "et al." 2006]

Distribution

The black katipo is found along the west coast of the North Island down to Oakura, and on the east coast down to Te Kaha.

Name

"katipo" is a Maori word with the meaning "night-stinger" [ [http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English/CollectionsAndResearch/Collections/InsectsSpidersAndSimilar/Spiders/Spiders_Web/What/Katipo.htm Museum of New Zealand] ] .

Footnotes

References

* (2006): Field identification of katipo [http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/drds237.pdf PDF]
* (2008): [http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/index.html The world spider catalog] , version 8.5. "American Museum of Natural History".

External links

* [http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biodiversity/invertebratesprog/invertid/bug_details.asp?Bu_ID=55 Manakau Whenua Land Research Group Identification]
* [http://www.protectnz.org.nz/grids/cc_sub.asp?id=602&area=55&subarea=56 BioSecurity NZ Idenfication Aid]