Researchers say they used anatomical and DNA comparisons to study different populations of the Sydney funnel-web spider – one of the world’s deadliest spiders – and found there were three species, only two of which were previously known to science.

An international team of scientists has revised the classification of Australia's most famous spider. With a bite more deadly to humans than that of any other spider, the iconic Sydney funnel-web has long been considered a single species,

There are several genera of funnel web spiders, but the most common ones in Australia are Atrax, Hadronyche, and Illawarra. They vary in size and color, usually black or brown, with shiny carapaces. The males are generally smaller and less robust than the females.

A larger, more venomous, longer-fanged species of one of the world’s deadliest spiders has been discovered by scientists in Australia. Nicknamed “Big Boy” and living just 100 miles north of Sydney, the Newcastle funnel-web has thrilled arachnologists – and struck fear into arachnophobes.

The dreaded Sydney funnel web spider from Australia is one of the most venomous spiders in the world. Researchers have now discovered that the

Atrax christenseni, after noticing differences in spiders from the Newcastle area, marking a significant contribution to arachnology.

Australian scientists have discovered a bigger, more venomous species of the Sydney funnel-web spider, one of the world's deadliest.

Scientists from Australia and Germany have classified a new, highly venomous species of spider, Atrax christenseni, known as Big Boy. It is very large and highly venomous, with bites that can be fatal.