FUNNEL-WEB SPIDER

any species of spider belonging to several genera in the family Dipluridae. The most important genera are Evagrus, Brachythele, and Microhexura in North America; Trechona in South America; and the poisonous members of the Atrax genus in Australia. The spiders are named for their webs, which are shaped like funnels opening wide at the mouth of the tube; insect prey are caught by the spider at the funnel's mouth. The species Atrax robustus and A. formidabilis are large, brown bulky spiders that are much feared in southern and eastern Australia because of their venomous bites. Several human deaths from the bites of these aggressive spiders have been recorded in the Sydney area since the 1920s. An antidote to the main toxin in their venom has been developed which is effective if administered to victims soon after they have been bitten.