Latrodectus hasseltii, the redback spider.
Toby Hudson/Wikimedia Commons
Be thankful you aren’t a male redback spider.
Is Australia really the most lethal nation on earth when it comes down to it?
The Conversation
There’s a simple reason why Australia isn’t the most lethal nation in the world.
As a generalist predator, spiders, like this Western Rough Wolf Spider, help limit the number of insects in your garden.
Jean and Fred/Flickr
Only two Australian spiders can kill you, but the rest are a pretty fascinating bunch.
Spiders such as this funnel-web (Hadronyche infensa) will only bite if threatened.
There are more than 45,000 species of spider, but only a handful are potentially dangerous to humans.
Past studies have indicated the redback spider antivenom is effective.
Cathy/Flickr
Media reports about the redback spider antivenom being ineffective caused a bit of a stir recently. The articles were based on research presented at a major toxinology conference in Dubai. To understand…