Newcastle Funnel-web: Just 1 of 3 Deadly Sydney Funnel-web Spiders

Thanks to decades of collecting specimens and new genetic tools, researchers at the Australian Museum and the Australian Museum Research Institute have finally confirmed what spider biologists long suspected: hidden diversity among funnel-web spiders.

That classic Sydney funnel-web? The Sydney funnel-web spider has been reclassified into three separate species: Atrax robustus, Atrax montanus and Atrax christenseni.

Researchers have long lumped a variety of big, shiny aggressive spiders under the name Atrax robustus, aka the Sydney funnel-web spider. But now, thanks to comparing newly collected spiders with specimens from the Australian Museum collections dating back more than 40 years, we know better.

The original Sydney funnel-web is primarily found in the Central Coast and throughout the Sydney Basin. But a distinct group in southern Sydney and another along the Central Coast and Newcastle region have enough genetic and morphological differences to be considered separate species.

Now you might have to be more specific with your arachnid exclamations Down Under and say you saw a southern Sydney funnel-web species.

The real game changer? Gene sequences.

By analyzing the DNA of funnel-webs collected from different parts of South Wales and Eastern Australia, researchers discovered significant genetic divergence among the spiders. The genetic data confirmed what the spider biologists suspected from physical characteristics alone.

Dr. Helen Smith, a leading expert at the Australian Museum, contributed to the research identifying the three distinct species of funnel-web spiders. And in this case, the analysis resurrected an old species name, Atrax christenseni, for one of the distinct groups—what you might call a totally new species, although it had been sitting in collections all along.

The Newcastle funnel-web spider (Atrax christenseni) isn't just geographically distinct; it's physically astounding.

These large spiders, are confined to a 25-km (15.5-mile) radius around Newcastle and is distinct from other species, based on morphological and genetic differences.

This impressive funnel-web includes variations in spinnerets, fangs and other anatomical traits that only trained arachnologists would spot — but they're critical in understanding which of the three species you're looking at.

Understanding that there are multiple species among funnel-webs isn't just academic. It affects how we respond to funnel-web bites, where we send medical supplies and how we protect both people and spiders.

The Australian Reptile Park continues its role in collecting funnel-web spiders for venom extraction, with the existing antivenom effective against all identified species. Knowing the exact identity of a venomous spider helps improve treatment outcomes and could influence public health policies.

Plus, this isn't just about the Newcastle funnel-web spider. It's a peek into the hidden complexity of the natural world, where what seems like one creature is actually many, each with its own ecological story.

And it all came to light by looking closely — really closely — at spiders that most people would rather avoid.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.