Sydney funnel-web spider fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC
What is a Sydney funnel-web spider and what does it look like?
The Sydney funnel-web spider is a large, shiny, dark brown to black spider found in the Sydney region. It is a mygalomorph spider, which means it has strong downward-pointing fangs. Sydney funnel-web spiders usually grow to about 1.5 to 5 cm in body length. They have a smooth, glossy front body section and finger-like spinnerets at the end of the abdomen. Adult males are usually smaller than females but have longer legs, and males have a mating spur on their second pair of legs.
Fast facts – Sydney funnel-web spider
What are they – Sydney funnel-web spiders are large mygalomorph spiders found in the Sydney region.
Scientific name - Atrax robustus
Body features – They are shiny dark spiders with strong fangs and finger-like spinnerets. Adult males have a mating spur on the second pair of legs.
Diet – They eat insects and other small animals such as larvae, snails, millipedes and frogs.
Where they live – They live in moist silk-lined burrows in sheltered places such as soil, logs, stumps and tree trunks.
Life cycle – Females lay eggs in a silk egg sac inside the burrow and guard the young.
Safety – Funnel-web bites need urgent medical help. Use pressure immobilisation and call 000.
Where do Sydney funnel-web spiders live?
Sydney funnel-web spiders live in moist, sheltered places in and around Sydney. They are often found in burrows in the ground, under logs and rocks, in stumps, in rough tree trunks and sometimes among ferns. Their burrows are lined with white silk and have several silk threads spreading out from the entrance like trip lines. These spiders avoid dry daytime conditions and prefer cool, damp hiding places.
What do Sydney funnel-web spiders eat?
Sydney funnel-web spiders are predators. They eat insects and other small animals such as insect larvae, snails, millipedes, frogs and other small creatures. They usually wait near the entrance of their burrow and rush out when prey touches the silk lines around the entrance.
What adaptations do Sydney funnel-web spiders have to help them survive?
Sydney funnel-web spiders have several adaptations that help them survive. Their strong legs and large fangs help them dig burrows, catch prey and defend themselves if threatened. Their burrows are lined with silk, which helps keep the inside damp and protected from drying out. Fine silk trip lines spread out from the entrance of the burrow and act like a warning system, letting the spider know when an insect or other small animal is nearby. Sydney funnel-web spiders are also mostly active at night, which helps them avoid heat and drying conditions during the day. Their venom is another important adaptation, helping them quickly subdue prey and protect themselves from predators.
Male Sydney funnel-web spider active at night while searching for a mate.
How do Sydney funnel-web spiders reproduce and what is their life cycle?
During the breeding season, a mature male leaves his burrow to search for a female. After mating, the female lays her eggs in a round white silk egg sac inside her burrow and guards it. The spiderlings stay in the burrow at first before later leaving to make their own small burrows. Males mature in about four years, females take a little longer, and adult males usually live for a much shorter time than females. As the spiders grow, they shed their exoskeleton.
What is the role of Sydney funnel-web spiders in an ecosystem?
Sydney funnel-web spiders are important predators in bushland and forest-floor habitats. By feeding on insects and other small animals, they help keep food webs in balance. Like many spiders, they also become food for other animals.
How can people stay safe around Sydney funnel-web spiders?
Sydney funnel-web spiders should never be touched or handled. In funnel-web areas, it is sensible to wear gloves when gardening, wear shoes outside and learn what a funnel-web burrow looks like. If someone is bitten by a funnel-web spider, or by a large black spider in the Sydney area, call 000, apply a pressure bandage to the bite and limb, keep the person still and wait for medical help. Funnel-web bites can be life-threatening, but since antivenom became available in 1981 there have been no recorded deaths.
Related fact sheets
More invertebrate fact sheets
- Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
- Arachnids fact sheet – overview of spider body parts and other arachnids
- Huntsman spider fact sheet – another Sydney spider that hunts without a web
- Trapdoor spider fact sheet – another burrow-dwelling mygalomorph spider
- St Andrew’s Cross spider fact sheet – a web-building spider for comparison
Habitats and ecosystems
Attributions
References
Australian Museum. 2025. Sydney Funnel-web Spider, Atrax robustus. [online]. Available at: Australian Museum. https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/sydney-funnel-web-spider/
Australian Museum. 2025. Australian Funnel-web Spiders. [online]. Available at: Australian Museum. https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/funnel-web-spiders-group/
Atlas of Living Australia. n.d. Atrax robustus: Sydney Funnel-Web Spider. [online]. Available at: Atlas of Living Australia.
https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Atrax%2Brobustus
Australian Reptile Park. n.d. Funnel Web Spider. [online]. Available at: Australian Reptile Park. https://www.reptilepark.com.au/about/meet-our-animals/funnel-web-spider
Australian Reptile Park. n.d. Spider Venom Program. [online]. Available at: Australian Reptile Park. https://www.reptilepark.com.au/about/venom-program/spider-venom-program
Northern Beaches Council. n.d. Sydney Funnel Web Spider. [online]. Available at: Northern Beaches Council. https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/environment/species/sydney-funnel-web-spider
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. n.d. Spider bites factsheet. [online]. Available at: Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.
https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/spider-bites-factsheet
Image attributions
A Sydney funnel-web spider – Field of Mars EEC (original illustration). 
Adult male Sydney funnel-web spider. Attribution: “Atrax robustus male.jpeg” by dreworme, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atrax_robustus_male.jpeg
Silk trip lines around the entrance of a Sydney funnel-web spider burrow. Attribution: “Atrax robustus web.jpeg” by sofiazed1, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atrax_robustus_web.jpeg
Earwigs are ground-dwelling invertebrates that can be prey for funnel-web spiders. Attribution: “Tisores - Tijereta - Earwig (Forficula auricularia)” by fturmog, via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. https://www.flickr.com/photos/9016747@N03/2494993352
Male Sydney funnel-web spider active at night while searching for a mate. Attribution: “Atrax robustus male at night.jpeg” by sofiazed1, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atrax_robustus_male_at_night.jpeg
Female Sydney funnel-web spider beside its shed exoskeleton. Attribution: “Atrax robustus with exuvia.jpg” by sofiazed1, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atrax_robustus_with_exuvia.jpg
Sydney funnel-web spiders raise their front legs and fangs when threatened. Attribution: “Atrax robustus male frontal threat display.jpg” by nrg800, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atrax_robustus_male_frontal_threat_display.jpg
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