IS IT POISONOUS | Former 6PR announcer Jon Lewis sends Perth into frenzy over house spider

Jon Lewis has faced down grumpy callers, technical meltdowns, and the occasional on-air disaster in his years behind the microphone at 6PR.

But nothing could have prepared the veteran Perth radio personality for the eight-legged intruder lurking in the corner of his pantry.

"In this tiny corner of our pantry is a spider," Lewis wrote, the measured cadence of a man attempting calm while every instinct screamed otherwise.

"I question is this... ahhhhhh.... is it poisonous?"

The photographs told the full story. In the first, the spider appeared almost modest — a small dark shape wedged into the skirting board.

But Lewis went in for the close-up. Long-legged and utterly unbothered, clinging to the wall with the confidence of something that knew it was the apex predator in that particular corner of a Western Australian home.

Over ninety comments flooded in, and Perth's armchair arachnologists did not disappoint.

Janette Donnelly went straight for the jugular: "Red back for sure."

Four words. No comfort offered.

Chris Bachman agreed with equal economy: "Yes its poisonus."

The spelling was shaky but the conviction was absolute, earning four likes from an audience apparently unbothered by a missing letter.

Liz Laine reported that the spider "looks like a redback to Don," accompanied by two panic-face emojis, leaving the identity of Don, and his apparent expertise, delightfully unexplained.

But the scientific community pushed back. Pippa Candido identified it as a brown cupboard spider, "often confused for a redback," helpfully adding: "Post pic into AI and they'll tell you the same."

Deb Sharard offered partial reassurance with the ominous caveat that would haunt Jon's sleep:

"Male redact. Harmless, except for pests. Now, the female..."

Steven John Mihaljevich suggested a false widow, "not deadly but can cause pain and swelling."

Steven's diagnosis technically qualified as good news, though it didn't feel like it.

The spider's advocates also had their say. Richard Jones argued for diplomatic coexistence: "I suggest just leaving her in peace. She's free pest control."

Sylwia Renata Renata agreed, urging Lewis to "just move him outside... spiders are good."

Michael Maricic appealed directly to Jon's conscience:

"Leave him alone, Jon. That's his home."

The most withering contribution came from Martin Childs, who bypassed the spider entirely and attacked the infrastructure: "Mate, you need to fix up your paint job. Spiders love unkempt paint jobs."

"I am outraged by your lack of ship's husbandry."

He added a winking emoji.

Jon presumably did not find it as funny. And the spider, presumably, remains unbothered.