False widow spider: small, deadly – and in the UK

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2013/sep/29/false-widow-spider-small-deadly-uk

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<strong>Age: </strong>About 400m years, but only arrived in the UK in 1879.

<strong>Appearance: </strong>Spider-like.

<strong>Can you be a little more precise? </strong>Brown bulbous abdomen, cream markings, orange legs.

<strong>Are you describing <em>Steatoda grossa</em> or <em>Steatoda nobilis</em>? </strong>OK, no need to show off. The distinction is rarely made in media coverage of false widows, but it's significant. <em>Steatoda grossa</em> is a native species that poses little threat to humans; <em>Steatoda nobilis</em> – the one we're concerned with here – is the more venomous incomer. Don't mention this to Nigel Farage, or we'll never hear the end of it.

<strong>How big are they?</strong> The female's body measures about 15mm, or 32mm if you include the legs.

<strong>And the males? </strong>Smaller and friendlier. Also, they only live a year, whereas females live to three. It's basically feminism gone mad.

<strong>Is that because the female eats the male after mating? </strong>You are thinking of its deadlier cousin the black widow spider, with which it is frequently confused. False widow males tend to die of natural causes after sex.

<strong>Are false widows dangerous? </strong>ARE THEY DANGEROUS? You have clearly not been paying attention to recent press reports. <em>Steatoda nobilis</em> is Britain's most venomous spider. A bite can kill, or at the very least produce a nasty swelling and give you palpitations.

<strong>And the number of deaths in the UK so far? </strong>None, but you can't be too careful.

<strong>So what's the real danger level? </strong>Minimal according to the experts, though as with wasp stings there is a possibility of death as a result of anaphylactic shock.

<strong>Are false widows increasing in number? </strong>Too right they are. They were first spotted in Torquay in the 19th century, having arrived from the Canary Islands, possibly in a crate of bananas; established themselves in the south-west; moved to the south-east and London (which is of course when the media got interested), and are now heading north.

<strong>Is climate change a factor in their proliferation? </strong>Yes, according to every reputable scientist. No, according to James Delingpole.

<strong>Not to be confused with: </strong>The white widow.

<strong>Do say:</strong> "Ouch!"

<strong>Don't say: </strong>"This is a story with legs."

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