Overview
Scientific name: Cryptachaea gigantipes
What do they look like?
These spiders are similar in shape to katipō, but are larger and pale coloured with much longer legs.
Where are they found?
White porch spiders are from Australia and appear to have arrived in the Auckland region around the year 2000. Since then they have spread rapidly, with specimens now reported as far south as the Cental Otago region In Australia, the natural habitats of these spiders are rock overhangs and caves. In New Zealand they make use of overhanging features on built structures, such as eaves and – as the common name suggests – porches.
What are their habits?
These spiders make a cobweb underneath an overhang and rest in the upper part of the web. Like many web-building species, they feed on a wide variety of insect groups and have also been observed eating other spiders, including members of their own species. They have a number of natural enemies including the white tail spider and wasps.
What is their bite like?
Despite living alongside humans, these spiders are rather timid and only two bites are known. The bites produced symptoms including pain, redness, localised swelling and muscle ache, lasting 24 hours in one case.