'Leave it alone': Venomous spider spotted in central Otago

The spider.
The spider. Photo credit: Reddit.

A sighting of what's likely to be a redback spider in central Otago has prompted warnings for curious Kiwis to leave the arachnids alone.

One camper posted a picture of the spider on Reddit, explaining they found it at a campsite toilet in Bendigo, Central Otago.

"Should I report it to biosecurity or something?" they wrote.

A spokesperson for the Ministry for Primary Industries told Newshub the spider is likely a redback - and the poster shouldn't bother reporting it.

"Red-backs are considered to be established in New Zealand and have been recorded here since the 1980s," they said.

"Populations are known from Central Otago and New Plymouth, and there have been red-backs reported from several other locations in both the North and South Islands."

Although they're not a biosecurity risk, redbacks are a health risk. Their bites are venomous and have been linked to deaths in Australia.

A spokesperson for Manaaki Whenua/Landcare Research said although bites are rare they can be nasty.

"The best advice would be, leave it alone."

Commenters on the thread appeared more than happy to steer clear.  

"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit," said one person. 

"I'm not a spider expert but it looks like a massive "f**k that" to me."