You can find spiders in New Zealand in gardens, forests, grasslands, and inside homes. Most of them are small, shy, and harmless to people.
If you wonder if there are spiders in New Zealand, the answer is yes. Most spiders are more a feature of nature than a threat.
New Zealand’s spiders play a big part in local wildlife, from web-builders to fast hunters. Most are harmless and many species have not yet been named.
How Common Spiders Are In New Zealand
You can find spiders across New Zealand in homes, forests, farms, and coastal areas. The country has a large spider fauna, and many species are unique to the islands.
How Many Species Live In New Zealand
New Zealand has about 2,000 spider species, with more than 1,100 described scientifically. Most are endemic, meaning they live only in New Zealand.
You may also spot introduced species such as Pholcus phalangioides, which often lives in houses and sheds.
Why Most Species Are Harmless To People
Most New Zealand spiders are small and focus on catching insects. They are mostly harmless, which matches everyday experience for most visitors and residents.
You are far more likely to see a jumping spider, sheetweb spider, nursery web spider, cobweb spider, or a tunnel web spider than any spider that could cause real trouble. Even the well-known fishing spider is not something you need to fear in normal encounters.
Where People Usually Encounter Them
You may find spiders in corners of rooms, around window frames, under logs, in leaf litter, or near water. Gardens and bush tracks are common places to spot them.
Museums such as the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa note that some species arrived naturally by ballooning, where spiderlings drift on silk threads carried by the wind.
Spiders That Matter Most To People
Only a few spiders in New Zealand matter from a medical point of view. Most bites are minor or rare.
The species people talk about most are the katipō, redback spider, and a few introduced house spiders.
Katipō And Other Medically Significant Species
The katipō is the main native spider you should know. It is related to Latrodectus species, and the redback spider, a close relative, is established in some parts of New Zealand.
The katipō is the only endemic spider in New Zealand known for potentially significant bites. Redback spiders can also matter because of their venom.
Serious incidents are uncommon, and no katipō deaths have been recorded for more than 200 years.
The Truth About White-Tailed Spiders
White-tailed spiders, including Lampona cylindrata and Lampona murina, are often blamed for painful bites and skin damage. That reputation is mostly exaggerated.
These spiders can bite if trapped against your skin, but the link to serious necrotic wounds has often been overstated. If you see one, you can usually leave it alone or gently move it outside.
Introduced House And Garden Species
Several introduced spiders now live in New Zealand homes and gardens. These include Steatoda capensis (black cobweb spider or false katipō), the black house spider (Badumna insignis), Badumna longinqua, and Cryptachaea veruculata.
You may also hear about the black cobweb spider, black house spider, and redbacks in pest discussions. Most encounters end with a spider in a corner, not a bite.
Notable Native And Unusual Species
New Zealand has many unusual spiders that stand out for size, shape, or habitat. Some are famous for their looks, while others are special because they live in caves, forests, or wet places few people visit.
Largest And Most Impressive Species
The Nelson cave spider, Spelungula cavernicola, is the largest New Zealand spider by leg span. Other striking names include Porrhothele antipodiana (the black tunnelweb spider), Hexathele hochstetteri (the banded tunnelweb spider), and Gradungula.
You may also hear about the big vagrant spiders, Uliodon and Uliodon albopunctatus, plus Nephila edulis and Trichonephila edulis, known for large orb webs. The golden orb weaver, Leucauge dromedaria, and Poecilopachys australasia (the two-spined spider), also attract attention.
Jumping Spiders And Active Hunters
If you enjoy seeing active spiders, New Zealand has many jumping spiders and hunters to watch for. These include Trite species such as Trite planiceps (the black-headed jumping spider), Trite auricoma (the golden-brown jumping spider), and Trite parvula.
Other active hunters include Helpis minitabunda, Maratus griseus, and Anoteropsis species such as Anoteropsis hilaris. You may also spot Nyssus coloripes, Dysdera crocata (the slater spider), and Arachnura feredayi, which has a very unusual tail-like abdomen.
Web Builders, Cave Dwellers, And Forest Species
New Zealand’s web builders include Cambridgea species such as Cambridgea foliata, Paradictyna, Paradictyna rufoflava, and Haurokoa. Forest and cave specialists also make the country unique.
You may come across the Avondale spider, Delena cancerides, or the flat huntsman spider in human spaces. You might also find Dolomedes minor, Dolomedes aquaticus, Dolomedes dondalei, and Dolomedes schauinslandi near water.
Cave and burrow species include the Hexathele group and the vagrant spiders. Rare forms like the Nelson cave spider show how varied spiders in New Zealand are.
