These are free living spiders that don’t build webs. They are common in caves and under rocks, logs and dark areas. They occur in houses and garages but are generally very shy of humans and scuttle off as soon as they see you.
Full Name: Violin Spider (Family Sicariidae)
Other Names: Vioolspinnekoppe
Classification: MEDICALLY IMPORTANT
These are free living spiders that don’t build webs. They are common in caves and under rocks, logs and dark areas. They occur in houses and garages but are generally very shy of humans and scuttle off as soon as they see you. They are similar in appearance to Daddy-Long-legs although the legs are not as long or thin. They are often confused with the Brown Recluse of America (and introduced to ports in Australia), a spider that also has a violin shape on the body. The South African Violin spiders are brown or grey and have spots or markings on the abdomen. This species possesses a cytotoxic venom and bites can result in tissue damage and should be treated as an open wound. If the wound goes septic or necrotic it is best to get to a hospital and go on a course of Prophylactic antibiotics. There are no deaths recorded from this species
