Latrodectus hasselti

Basic information
Scientific name	Latrodectus hasselti	Click to magnify
Common names	redback widow spider
Higher taxon	Theridiidae, Araneae, Arachnida, Arthropoda
Natural range	Possibly Australia, but ambiguous
Habitat

Invasion information
Range in Japan	Recorded in All prefectures except 2 prefectures (Aomori and Akita prefs). Abundant in Kinki and Tokai District (central Japan).
Origin	Unknown.
Date	The first record was in 1995.
Route	Accidental: With building material or some other transportation.
Impact	Venomous.
Regulation in Japan	Import, transport and keeping are legally restricted in Japan.
Introduced range in other countries	USA, etc.

Reference

Notes

Ikeda (supervising) DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki. (in Jpn)
Murakami & Washitani (supervising) Ecol. Soc. Japan (ed) (2002) Handbook of Alien Species in Japan. Chijin-Shokan. (in Jpn)
Ori et al. (1996) Introduction of widow spiders into Japan. Med Entomol Zool. 47(2):111-119. (English abstract)
Taki (supervising) JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha. (in Jpn)
etc.

100 of the Japan’s Worst Invasive Alien Species
Latrodectus spp. is designated as a invasive alien species from October 2015