Hiding on the bottom of a dented 200-litre drum, an Australian redback spider was discovered yesterday afternoon by Queenstown man Scott McDonald at the Queenstown Transfer Station in Frankton.
Mr McDonald works for a cooking oil company and was moving empty drums when he discovered the spider.
Curator of natural history at Canterbury Museum Dr Cor Vink said although Central Otago had a preferable climate for the spider to live and reproduce in, Frankton was not a common place for it to be found.
But considering Queenstown's summers were warm enough for the spiders' egg sacs to mature, the air was dry and the spiders had been found in nearby areas, Dr Vink said ''it's not unexpected''.
The temperature was ''not as ideal'' for the spiders as it was in Alexandra, Wanaka and Bannockburn, but it was still possible for the spider to survive.
A Ministry for Primary Industries spokeswoman said redbacks were known to have settled in Central Otago and Taranaki and because they were established in New Zealand, MPI was not undertaking research or control programmes.
''However, where redback finds are reported to the ministry, and these are associated with recent imports of goods (for example at a port or a facility where containers are unloaded), MPI may further investigate.''
Mr McDonald said the drums had been stored in Cromwell and taken to Queenstown more than a month ago.
Dunedin and Invercargill residents are unlikely to find a redbacks at their transfer stations - they are not warm enough and are too wet.
The facts:
• The redback spider Latrodectus hasselti is native to Australia but has been present in New Zealand since the 1980s.
• It is known to be established in Central Otago and Taranaki.
• The spider has venom that is toxic to people and bites can cause severe pain.
• Medical attention should be sought following a bite.
