A rare look at Katipō spiders
This article was published in the Mangawhai Focus, August 2025.
Katipō adult male (left) & subadult female. Photo, James Roberts.
In line with the Shorebirds Trust’s three guiding pou (pillars) – Partner, Research and Restore – the Trust recently supported a Master’s research project by James Roberts, shining new light on one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most notorious yet misunderstood native species, the katipō spider.
Legendary in coastal communities, katipō are the only spider with a known Māori name –meaning night stinger. While they are one of the few native species capable of harming humans, a confirmed death hasn’t been recorded since the 1920s.
Most people picture the iconic black spider with a bright red and white striped back. But here in the north, our female katipō are the black morph, which are often entirely black as adults, or with faint cream, orange or yellow blotches. Interestingly, male katipō look very different from the females, being white with orange and brown spots, and only one-sixth the size!
Katipō are classified as endangered and are found only in coastal dune ecosystems – habitats that have been heavily impacted by human development. Over 70 per cent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s dunes have been lost to urbanisation, farming or forestry. But there are likely other contributing factors to the species ongoing decline.
James’s research sought to understand whether the introduced invasive false katipō are contributing to the decline of native katipō. While our native katipō are only found in coastal dunes, including around Mangawhai, Te Ārai and Pākiri, the introduced lookalikes, originally from South Africa, are also commonly found around homes and gardens. The question is whether false katipō are outcompeting their endangered native cousins.
To explore this, James examined the movement patterns, seasonal life cycles and web-building preferences of each species. The findings were fascinating. Both species preferred similar web building locations – triangular driftwood and dense square-edged dune plants. Male false katipō were more bold and exploratory, while the females produced more eggs and bred earlier in the year, potentially giving false katipō a competitive edge. In contrast, native katipō were more reclusive, often freezing or hiding during encounters – a trait common among our native fauna.
While these findings suggest that false katipō may be outcompeting native katipo, James notes that we can’t say for sure yet. Web-sharing behaviours were also observed, suggesting that in healthy dune ecosystems, the two species may potentially coexist, something further research could determine.
The Shorebirds Trust is committed to supporting such cutting-edge scientific research, which advances the understanding and ability to conserve our treasured native species. These results highlight the value and importance of protecting and restoring our coastal ecosystems because healthy habitats are more resilient to change.