Mouse Spider

Identification
Full size - 50 cent piece; leg diameter - 'O'. Short stocky legs; black shiny head with distinct "step"; tiny eyes spread widely across head. Fangs strike towards each other diagonally, not vertically. Male of M. occatoria (shown) has deep red carapace, dark blue abdomen. Male of second species (M. bradleyi) has black head, abdomen with light blue patch in front area. Very aggressive.

Habitat
Cool dark areas - gardens. Most prevalent spring - autumn. Australia-wide.

Web
Short burrows in ground with floppy door projecting just above ground. Rarely rover.

Bite
'Bull-terrier'. Very hard and deep, venom potentially as dangerous as Funnelweb but often not used.