White tail spider. Photo: 123rf.com Photo:
There were more than 223 new claims to ACC for bites attributed to white tails this summer, with most reported in the Auckland region, followed by Waikato and Northland.
While the number of claims over the past five summers has remained about the same - an average of 178 - the cost of active claims has jumped from $30,844 in the summer of 2020/2021 to just over $103,000 this year.
White tails are part of three spider species deemed "medically significant" - along with the katipo and other Aussie import, the red back.
But the National Poisons Centre cautions spider bites can often be misreported - few people witness the actual bite or manage to capture what's bitten them.
So do white tails deserve the fearsome reputation?
Kathryn is joined by Dr Leilani Walker, spider expert and entomology curator at the Auckland War Museum.
