Talk:Redback spider

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Redback spider is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so.

This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on December 19, 2013.

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Date	Process	Result
September 20, 2013	Good article nominee	Listed
November 26, 2013	Featured article candidate	Promoted

A fact from this article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "Did you know?" column on June 15, 2004.

The text of the entry was: Did you know ...that since the introduction of antivenin in 1956, only one person has died from the bite of the Australian red-back spider, a cousin of the black widow?

Current status: Featured article

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This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 14 January 2020 and 30 April 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Peer reviewers: Jsjacobs98.

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Photos of Redback Spiders

The spiders in the article are black widows, not redbacks. See http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&e=24&u=/nm/20050211/od_nm/australia_spiders_dc for pictures of actual redback spiders.

MSTCrow 06:13, Feb 12, 2005 (UTC)

I've updated the photo with a picture of an actual Redback spider taken outside my house yesterday.

Orichalcon 02:43, May 30, 2005 (UTC)

Lightning speed or slow moving?

Can we resolve "lightning speed" ("Prey" section) with "slow moving" ("Bites in humans" section)?

Reported deaths

Just keeping notes here on sources reporting deaths. Feel free to add to it. --99of9 (talk) 11:13, 1 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

"The Deadly Red-Backed Spider". Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 - 1954). Vic.: National Library of Australia. 1 June 1893. p. 3. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
None recorded yet: "POISONOUS SPIDER BITES". The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939). Brisbane, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 8 September 1923. p. 2. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
Man, 3 weeks later, septic poisoning: "BITTEN BY SPIDER". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 25 February 1928. p. 16. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
Young girl, possibly redback: "RED BACKED SPIDER". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 9 April 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
None recorded yet: "Life and Lore of the Bush". Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 28 August 1932. p. 7 Section: Second Section. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
Infant, presumed redback (one found): "BITE KILLS INFANT". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954). Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 28 August 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
77 year old man: "HARRY BIRD, SENIOR". Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 - 1954). Qld.: National Library of Australia. 13 November 1935. p. 3. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
76 year old bitten three times: "SPIDER BITE PROVES FATAL". Queensland Times (Ipswich) (Qld. : 1909 - 1954). Ipswich) (Qld.: National Library of Australia. 26 February 1940. p. 6 Edition: DAILY. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
52 year old man: "BITTEN BY RED-BACK SPIDER". Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 - 1954) . NSW: National Library of Australia. 8 March 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
2 year old boy: "BOY'S DEATH DUE TO SPIDER BITE". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). ACT: National Library of Australia. 20 March 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
7 year old boy: "Boy Dies After Bite By Redback Spider". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 17 January 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
Time to death - 3 month old: hours - adult: up to 30 days - "NATURE NOTES RED-BACKS AND BLACK WIDOW". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954). Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 2 March 1954. p. 6. Retrieved 4 September 2013.

I was told when doing medic training that there had been no deaths purely attributable to red back bite since the anti-venom became widely available. Djapa Owen (talk) 14:54, 4 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

That's about right, but apparently one entomologist heard of one death since 1962: "Red-back spider that is not". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). ACT: National Library of Australia. 12 February 1987. p. 1. Retrieved 5 September 2013. --99of9 (talk) 15:06, 4 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

My concern with these references is that they are newspaper articles from many years ago. such that the medical details are not universally investigated. It is easy to say someone was bitten. But proof needs more elements: a spider identified by a spider expert, a collection of symptoms consistent with latrodectism. Since death is a rare event (an extraordinary outcome) The threshold for credible evidence is even higher. These claims meet the threshold of a wiki: that is is widely reported in the 1930-50's that redback bite had resulted in death. But They don't hold scientific rigor. Especially when there are no contemporary deaths. Attributing that to antivenom is suspect. Antivenom was used in Los Angeles, USA in the 20's. PMCID PMC1655382 It was used in Italy in the 50's. PMID: 14301291 . Moreover there should be deaths by people unable to reach medical attention. This is the cae with another arachnid teh scorpion in Morocco. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Moderntarantula (talk • contribs) 17:20, 9 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Image

2nd image stating 'male redback' is wrong ! While it is smaller, the male is identical to female without red stripe. The image used is actually some kind of 'Orb Weaver', non-venomous. 49.181.3.216 (talk) 08:23, 3 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

The second image appears to be an enlarged version of the same specimen as the male in File:Latrodectus hasselti male and female.png, so is almost certainly correct. The sourced description of the male says "the male redback ... is light brown, with white markings on the upper side of the abdomen and a pale hourglass marking on the underside", which fits the upper side of the specimen in the challenged photo. Peter coxhead (talk) 06:14, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting. I'd be interested to see your sources. A few hours after I took those photos I saw the two spiders in the second photo (the one with both) copulating. The recognition dance was rather bizarre, and the female ate the male after they'd finished, but they definitely mated. I didn't have my camera with me when I saw that, or I'd have photographed (or better, videod) it. Wocky (talk) 05:40, 9 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

(That last was in response to the comment from 29.181.3.216). Also, the males are actually different individuals.Wocky (talk) 05:45, 9 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]