Redback spiders eat insects such as flies, beetles, ants and cockroaches, plus other spiders and the occasional small lizard. They catch their prey in a messy web built close to the ground.
What Redback Spiders Eat
- Insects: flies, moths, beetles, ants, crickets and cockroaches
- Other creepy-crawlies: woodlice, millipedes and other spiders, including large ones such as huntsmen
- Small vertebrates: skinks, geckos and, rarely, a small snake or mouse that gets tangled in the web
How They Hunt
The redback (Latrodectus hasselti) is a web builder. Its web has a tangled upper area where it hides, and sticky “gumfoot” threads running down to the ground. When a beetle or ant walks into one, the thread breaks free of the ground and hauls the prey into the air. The spider then rushes out, throws more silk over it, bites to inject venom, and wraps it up. Like other spiders, it breaks the meal down with digestive fluid and drinks the liquid.
Where They Live
Redbacks are native to Australia. Look for them in sheds, under garden furniture, in letterboxes, woodpiles and other dry, sheltered spots. Small populations have also been found in other countries, usually after the spiders arrived in shipments.
Male and Female Differences
Females are the large, glossy black spiders with a red stripe on the back. Males are much smaller and brown. Males do not build webs of their own and usually live at the edge of a female’s web. After mating, the female sometimes eats the male.
Are They Dangerous to People?
Only the female’s bite is a concern for humans. Bites can cause severe, lasting pain, sweating and swelling, and antivenom is available. Redbacks are shy and bite mostly when pressed against skin, such as when you reach into a dark corner. Wear gloves when moving woodpiles or sheds. If you or a pet is bitten, apply a cold pack and seek medical or veterinary help.
Bottom Line
Redback spiders are ambush predators that trap insects, spiders and small reptiles in a sticky web near the ground. They help control pests but should be left alone around kids and pets.
Related reading: what to feed a house spider, what white tail spiders eat and what yellow sac spiders eat.
