| Red-headed mouse spider | |
|---|---|
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Actinopodidae |
| Genus: | Missulena |
| Species: | M. occatoria
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| Binomial name | |
| Missulena occatoria Walckenaer, 1805[1]
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Missulena occatoria, known as the red-headed mouse spider, is a species of spider found in Australia,[1] from open forest to desert shrubland. It is the most widely distributed Missulena species, occurring throughout mainland Australia (but mainly west of the Great Dividing Range). This is possible because the spiderlings disperse via wind (ballooning). Normally this only occurs with araneomorph spiders, mygalomorph spiders normally disperse by walking. Missulena venom may be very toxic, but few cases of serious envenomation have been recorded. Most recorded bites only caused minor effects, with Australian funnel-web spider antivenom having proved effective as a treatment.[2]
The spiders dig a burrow up to 55 cm deep, with two trapdoors.
Females are approximately 35 mm long, stout, short-legged, and mostly dark brown to black (but the jaws are sometimes red-tinged). The smaller males are approximately 15 mm long, have longer and thinner legs, and the head and jaws are bright red while the abdomen is gunmetal blue to black.[2]