Katipō
Scientific name: Latrodectus katipo Powell, 1871
Overview
Katipō is a species of cobweb spider found only in New Zealand. It is one of many species in the genus Latrodectus and is most closely related to the Australian redback (L. hasseltii). It is venomous to humans, its bite being capable of producing the toxic syndrome latrodectism; symptoms include extreme pain and, potentially, hypertension or seizure. Bites are rare and antivenom is available in some hospitals. The female is 8–10 millimetres (0.31–0.39 in) in length; the male is 4–5 millimetres (0.16–0.20 in). In the South Island and the lower half of the North Island, the female has a distinct red stripe bordered in white on its abdomen; in more northern populations this stripe is absent, pale, yellow, or replaced with cream-coloured blotches. These two forms were previously thought to be separate species. The male is white with black stripes and red hourglass-shaped markings.
From the Wikipedia article “Katipō”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: New Zealand.
Common names
Also known in English as Katipo.
Names in other languages (3)
- Bengali
- কাটিপো মাকড়সা
- Chinese
- 卡提波蜘蛛
- German
- Rote Katipo
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The World Spider Catalog.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — names in other languages. Q82255, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “Katipō”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — jesscostall, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026