Researchers are amazed

World’s most venomous spider consists of three species

Picture of an Australian funnel web spider

(Bild: EPA)

The dreaded Sydney funnel web spider from Australia is one of the most venomous spiders in the world. Researchers have now discovered that the animals are not a single species, but a complex of three species. 

This is an important finding for venom research and the production of antidotes, according to the German Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, which was involved in the study with an international team.

Large visual differences between species
The results have now been published in the journal "BMC Ecology and Evolution". Although experts had noticed major visual differences between the spiders for decades, they had previously been grouped together under the scientific name "Atrax robustus". This species, known as the "true" Sydney funnel web spider, lives in and around Sydney and on the Central Coast.

Giant specimens from Newcastle
A second species - "Atrax montanus" - is found further south and is mainly found in the Blue Mountains, which are popular with tourists. It has been named before, but has only now been accepted as a separate species. The third species now documented is by far the largest. "Atrax christenseni" is found specifically in the area around Newcastle, about 150 kilometers north of Sydney. The three species have both genetic and morphological differences.

The distribution area of "Atrax robustus" (red), "Atrax montanus" (green) and "Atrax christenseni" (blue).

(Bild: biomedcentral.com, Krone KREATIV)

The researchers' curiosity was aroused by particularly large specimens that were handed in by spider enthusiast Kane Christensen for milking for an antivenom in the Australian Reptile Park. Christensen drew the experts' attention to the size of the animals, which all originate from the Newcastle area. As a reward, the new species has now been named "Atrax christenseni". "This is one of the greatest honors you can get," the Australian broadcaster ABC quoted the spider friend as saying.

Important for venom research
The good news is that the existing antivenom is clearly effective for all three species. Since the start of the program to produce an antidote in 1981, there have been no more deaths in Australia due to a bite from the animals. However, the new findings would still help venom research, said Danilo Harms from the Leibniz Institute and co-author of the study. "Even if there is an effective antivenom, the consideration of species-specific differences can be valuable for the production of antivenoms for funnel web spider bites," he emphasized.

Just last week, scientists announced that a record-breaking Sydney funnel-web - as the spiders are called in Australia - had been released in the Australian Reptile Park. It was 9.2 centimeters long and was named after the Australian actor Chris Hemsworth. Experts believe that Hemsworth is the largest funnel web spider ever recorded from Newcastle.

The park is the only place in Australia where the males are milked for their venom to produce the antidote. The reason: the males are five to six times more poisonous than the females - and their toxin is particularly suitable for the production of a life-saving antidote. It is not for nothing that the males, together with the Brazilian wandering spider, are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most venomous spider in the world.