A venomous Australian redback spider has been found in Northland.
A redback spider Photo: 123rf.com
The female arachnid was found by a Paparoa resident and handed into the Northland Regional Council's office in Dargaville.
Biosecurity manager Don McKenzie said the spider's bite was known to be extremely painful, and it could make its victim feel very nauseous.
He said the spiders had a red stripe on their back and liked a bit of cover.
"They shouldn't be confused with our native katipo spiders that like the sand dunes.
"Redback spiders like darker places - under cover, under bits of timber, wood, rock and so on. They don't go out looking for fights, but they're a spider that defends itself."
Mr McKenzie said health authorities classified the redback as "low risk", and if anyone found one they should report it to the Ministry for Primary Industries or their regional council.
The spider has been in the country since the 1980s.