The red-headed mouse spider (Missulena occatoria) is found almost everywhere in Southern Australia from open forests to desert shrublands. It is the largest (females up to 24 mm males up to 12 mm) and most widely distributed Missulena species because the spiderlings are wind-dispersed (ballooning). Normally this only occurs with araneomorph spiders mygalomorph spiders normally disperse by walking. Mouse Spider venom may be very toxic but few cases of serious envenomation has been recorded.
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