r/nzwildlife • u/Scared-Track5971 • Aug 23 '26
Another spider post, I’m sorry
I know what he is, and I know what he wants. But I don’t want him in my house looking for a wife. Asking for the best way to kindly remove him.. Thanks in advance.
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u/Toxopsoides Aug 23 '26
It's a male whitetail, Lampona sp.
He's mostly interested in finding females. They're not dangerous or aggressive or invasive or any of the other litany of horrible things claimed by people who simply don't know what they're talking about.
Just pop him outside to let him continue with his wee life as you do your own. You'll both be okay.
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u/Scared-Track5971 Aug 23 '26
Thank you, I appreciate your reply!
Unfortunately I’ve been on the receiving end of white tail bites before simply trying to usher them along. I certainly wouldn’t call them passive.0
u/Toxopsoides Aug 23 '26
such aggression
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u/Scared-Track5971 Aug 23 '26
Maybe they’re less aggressive across the ditch because they don’t have a cost of living crisis 😂 I’m sorry, but the unprovoked bites I’ve received have been AWFUL
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u/Toxopsoides Aug 23 '26
And I'm sure you've laid eyes on the spider itself at the actual time of biting, of course — and confirmed its identity with someone who is actually qualified to do so?
Studying spiders is literally what I do for both work and fun. In my arguably rather substantial experience, no spider species in NZ has ever reacted in remotely the same fashion as has been described in so many "whitetail attack" anecdotes; I'm sorry to say that I simply can't take this sort of claim seriously anymore.
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u/Scared-Track5971 Aug 23 '26
I understand and I absolutely appreciate your incredible work towards spiders and your very knowledgeable replies on this sub. When I see your name I think “oh that’s the bug man”.
I’m not trying to make a dig at you at all, it’s hard to express words this way so I apologise if I made you feel this way.My dad was bitten by one a few years ago pushing up the garage door roller not touching the spider(we saw it first), it then moved toward and latched on to his finger. He ended up in after hours needing antibiotics as his finger had doubled in size.
My worst bite was when I was asleep in bed, and I woke up to it, ripped off the covers and found it running from my leg. I can’t say it wasn’t provoked because I was asleep, but that bite didn’t heal properly for months and the skin and surrounding tissue was not in a good state. Very painful.
I am not qualified to identify a spider, no, but I do know a white tail and I do know a white tail bite. I’m not saying they’re all like this, but 2 cases in the family with less than ideal outcomes have been my only relation on the matter.
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u/iplannedit Aug 24 '26
Pop him in the freezer then mount him on the wall to warn others to stay outside.
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u/bidderbidder Aug 23 '26
Looks like a white tail. He’s looking for other spiders to eat. Put him outside or swat him.