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Funnel-web spider | Habitat, Size, & Facts | Britannica
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py-lg-20 content " data-topic-id="222447"> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/funnel-web-spider">funnel-web spider</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <span class="toc-extra-link selected link-gray-900 mt-15"> Introduction </span> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/funnel-web-spider/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/funnel-web-spider">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/funnel-web-spider/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/731-004-6E922848/spider-striking.jpg" data-href="/media/1/222447/10887" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/731-004-6E922848/spider-striking.jpg" alt="funnel-web spider" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/46/193546-050-7865670F/Sydney-funnel-web-spider.jpg" data-href="/media/1/222447/221183" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/46/193546-004-3A060E2B/Sydney-funnel-web-spider.jpg" alt="Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus)" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-quizzes"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> Quizzes </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/quiz/animal-group-names"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/161265-131-DCC952FE/Sea-otter.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you鈥檝e submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="http://australianmuseum.net.au/Funnel-web-Spiders-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Australian Museum - Funnel-web Spiders</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Dipluridae, diplurid funnel-web mygalomorph</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/funnel-web-spider/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/animal/Atrax-formidabilis" topicid="41911">Atrax formidabilis</a></dd> <dd><a href="/animal/Atrax-robustus" topicid="41913">Sydney funnel-web spider</a></dd> <dd><a href="/animal/Orthognatha" topicid="662237">Orthognatha</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/funnel-web-spider"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><!--[BEFORE-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><!--[PREMOD1]--><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref179120"></span>funnel-web spider</strong>, (family Dipluridae), member of a family of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/spider-arachnid" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">spiders</a> in the order <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/spider-arachnid" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Araneida</a> that are named for their funnel-shaped <span id="ref1287841"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/web" class="md-crosslink ">webs</a>. Their webs open wide at the mouth of the tube, and the spider sits in the narrow funnel waiting for prey to contact the web. When this happens, the spider rushes out and captures the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/insect" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">insect</a> prey at the funnel鈥檚 mouth. The most important genera are <em>Euagrus</em>, <em>Brachythele</em>, and <em>Microhexura</em> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/North-America" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">North America</a>, <em>Trechona</em> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/South-America" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">South America</a>, and the venomous members of the <em>Atrax</em> genus in Australia.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><!--[MOD1]--><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD2]--><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="221183" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/46/193546-050-7865670F/Sydney-funnel-web-spider.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/222447/221183"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/46/193546-050-7865670F/Sydney-funnel-web-spider.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/46/193546-050-7865670F/Sydney-funnel-web-spider.jpg?w=300" alt="Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus)" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/46/193546-050-7865670F/Sydney-funnel-web-spider.jpg" data-href="/media/1/222447/221183">Sydney funnel-web spider (<em>Atrax robustus</em>) </a><span>Sydney funnel-web spider (<em>Atrax robustus</em>).</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/species-taxon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">species</a> <em><span id="ref179121"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Atrax-robustus" class="md-crosslink ">Atrax robustus</a></em> and <em><span id="ref179122"></span>A. formidabilis</em> are large brown bulky spiders that are much feared in southern and eastern Australia because of their venomous bites. Several human deaths from the bites of these aggressive spiders have been recorded in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sydney-New-South-Wales" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sydney</a> area since the 1920s. An <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="antidote" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antidote" data-type="MW">antidote</a> to the main <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/toxin" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">toxin</a> in their venom has been developed and is effective if administered to victims soon after they have been bitten.</p><!--[MOD2]--><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/John-P-Rafferty/6747">John P. 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