Web of intrigue over spider post

Is it? Or isn’t it? Was a funnel-web spider spotted in Lawnton?

Biancia Lovegrove asked the question on the Redcliffe Peninsula Community page saying: “Does anyone know what spider this is?”

Ms Lovegrove admitted she was “too scared” to go outside at one point and had ore than 100 comments trying to help.

So, we asked an expert, who identified it as a mouse spider.

“People often mistake mouse spiders for funnel-webs,” Allan Holland, Operations Manager for Stevie Redback Pest and Termite Control at Clontarf, said.

“They are very similar. The difference is the pattern of the (eight) eyes. In mouse spiders the eyes are spread further apart. Funnel-webs’ eye pattern is closer together.”

That similarity confused many online. Many said it was a funnel-web spider, some adamantly so with warnings of its toxicity.

There were also suggestions of a black house spider, an eastern mouse spider and plenty of pictures to support the claims.

It was also correctly identified as a mouse spider by many.

Mr Holland said mouse spiders are common to Queensland and non-venomous, though they can give a painful bite and become aggressive if annoyed.

Funnel-webs are predominantly found in Sydney and surrounding areas, are aggressive by nature and venomous, with the Sydney funnel-web the most dangerous.

Mr Holland said a few funnel-web spiders, which actually prefer colder climates, have been known to exist in Queensland.

If you are concerned about spiders or pests around or in your home, call an expert.