Katipo 卡提波蜘蛛
The katipo (Latrodectus katipo) is an endangered species of spider native to New Zealand. It is one of many species in the genus Latrodectus, such as the Australian redback (L. hasseltii), and the North American black widows. The species is venomous to humans, capable of delivering a comparatively dangerous bite. The name katipo (plural: katipo) is from the Māori katipō, meaning "night-stinger". It is a small to medium-sized spider, with the female having a round black or brown pea-sized body. Red katipo females, found in the South Island and the lower half of the North Island, are always black, and their abdomen has a distinctive red stripe bordered in white. In black katipo females, found in the upper half of the North Island, this stripe is absent, pale, yellow, or replaced with cream-coloured blotches. These two forms were previously thought to be separate species. The male is much smaller than the female and quite different in appearance: white with black stripes and red diamond-shaped markings. Katipo are only found living in sand dunes close to the seashore. They are found throughout most of coastal New Zealand except the far south and west. Katipo feed mainly on ground dwelling insects, caught in an irregular tangled web spun amongst dune plants or other debris,