previously thought to be two separate species, but research has shown that they are a single species, L. katipo, with colour variation that is clinal over latitude and correlated with mean annual temperature. The katipō is so closely related to the redback that it was at one stage thought to be a subspecies, with the proposed name Latrodectus hasseltii katipo. Further research has shown that the katipō is distinct from the redback, having slight structural differences and striking differences in habitat preference, and it remains a distinct species. The katipō's family Theridiidae has a large number of species both in New Zealand and worldwide. They are commonly known as tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders or comb-footed spiders. The common name katipō (singular and plural), often spelled "katipo", is from the Māori for "night stinger", derived from the words kakati (to sting) and pō (the night). This name was apparently given to the species owing to the Māori belief that the spiders bite at night. Other common names include red katipō, black katipō and New Zealand's redback. Description The katipō is a small to medium-sized spider. The mature female has a body size of about with a leg span of up to . The red katipō female, found in the South Island and the lower North Island, has a large black globular abdomen, about the size of a garden pea, with slender legs and a white-bordered orange or red stripe on its back that runs from the uppermost surface of the abdomen back to the spinnerets. The dark velvet-black abdomen is described as satin or silky in appearance, rather than being shiny. The underside of the abdomen is black and has a red patch or partial red hourglass-shaped marking. It has mainly black legs with the extremities changing to brown. The black katipō female, found in the upper North Island, does not have a red stripe on the top of its body, and the abdominal colouration is usually lighter, but is otherwise very similar in appearance to the red katipō. The hourglass pattern on the underside of the abdomen may also be less distinct, losing the middle section, and may even be absent. Variations also exist where the abdomen, cephalothorax, or entire body is brown, sometimes with a dull red or yellow stripe, or cream-coloured spots on its upper side. These different forms were at one point thought to be different species,