Banner image courtesy of
As indicated on the Life History page, most encounters with A. robustus occur in the summer and autumn months when males wander in search of females to mate with. (Australian Museum Online) This is unfortunate because the male of the species is five times deadlier than the female. (ThinkQuest) The spider grips its victim and stabs repeatedly with hardened fangs that can pierce a human fingernail! (ThinkQuest, ) Thirteen total human deaths are attributed to this spider, but nobody has died since the introduction of an antivenom in 1981. (Australian Museum Online) A. robustus has a predatory relationship with its prey items, which usually consist of insects. (ReptilePark)