Steatoda nobilis, a false widow spider was found on a bunch of bananas in Scoriton on Dartmoor on 1st September 2007.This species comes from the Canary Islands but is often imported into this country on bananas and other fruit.
It has started to colonise this country in recent years and this is thought to be a response to climate change.
This is a poisonous species which can inflict an unpleasant and venomous bite. Recently someone in Dorset was hospitalised for three days after an encountered.
The specimen in the picture is a female and the abdomen is around 8mm. It is a very distinctive species displaying a 'tuning fork' mark and a frontal pale band on the abdomen.
The BBC have recently covered the range expansion of this species in Britain, see here. Additional information on the species in Devon can be found on the Plymouth University website.
3 comments:
Hi, I have just found one of these! It was hiding in a sarong I bought back for my daughter from La Palma (Canary Islands) last week. We aren't sure if it came back with us, or was just hiding there. We live in Chudleigh. The spider seems alive and well - what to do with it?? jakks360@tiscali.co.uk
I have recently been bitten several times on the thigh by one of these (Saturday 9 October 2009). At least it was a spider that had got into my jeans whilst working in the garden. (Essex)that bit me. It disappeared very quickly when I dropped my trousers to find out what was biting me. I have to admit to feeling a bit fluffy headed since then. Other than the bites swelling up and itching tehre have not been any other symptoms. DGS Essex
It is good to have one to display! Looks cute! But make sure to put them in closed jar! lol
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