The Times received a visit from an unwanted house-guest who was found in a Burrill Lake garden on October 17. 

The forest dwelling spiders enjoy warm, moist places and rainfall makes backyards, sheds and homes ideal refuges. 

Not all species are known to be dangerous, but several are renowned for their highly toxic and fast acting venom.

The male of Atrax robustus, or the Sydney Funnel-web spider, is thought to be responsible for all 13 recorded deaths and many medical injuries from bites since 1927. 

The notorious spider has become a part of Sydney's folklore and although no deaths have been recorded since the introduction of an antivenom in 1981, it remains an icon of fear and fascination for people across the state. 

In the case of a funnel-web bite medical attention should be sought immediately by calling an ambulance.

Symptoms usually consist of severe pain followed by numbness of the bite area. Vomiting, sweating and muscular cramps may also occur. 

There are more than 40 species of funnel-web spiders and they are currently placed in two genera  –Hadronyche and Atrax. 

They are medium to large spiders, varying from one to five centimeters in body length.

Males are more lightly built than females and body colour can vary from black to brown, but the hard carapace covering the front part of the body is always sparsely haired and glossy.

The lateral pair of spinning organs (spinnerets) at the end of the abdomen is longer and easily visible in Atrax, but often shorter in the Hadronyche.