Not my favourite creatures by any means, but a few have been spotted in my neighbourhood. They are the 'noble false widow spiders'. The posh name being Steatoda nobilis. Their body looks similar to a skull and the female often eats the male spider after mating.
According to Wikipedia "...the Steatoda nobilis is native to Madeira and the Canary Islands from where it allegedly spread to Europe, and arrived in England before 1879, perhaps through cargo sent to Torquay".
They supposedly got their name as they look very similar to black widow spiders which can have a very nasty bite - potentially dangerous.
The false widow, as in my photos, can also bite but it is not usually too serious, something on a par with a bee sting.
False widow spiders seem to like houses, sheds, garages and the like. The spider in my photos was from a house four houses along from where I live.
In England they are generally only seen in the south.
The quandary is what to do with the spiders if captured. I don't like to kill anything so I expect if I caught one indoors I would release it into the local woods.
For more pleasant creatures please see:
or
Thank you for visiting my blog - Mike.
That’s very interesting. There are many spiders here this time of the year, most completely harmless. It is fascinating to see their intricately woven webs. Perhaps your False Widow should be called a Blue Widow. The color certainly makes them easy to spot I guess! I wouldn’t want to harm one either, nor would I want a sting.
ReplyDeleteThe false blackwidow spider is the greatest spider of all time especially the males they protect territory and their mate veeery well
DeleteI have some as pets they're blue ribbon spiders the false blackwidow spider is the greatest especially the males they protect territory and their mate veeery well against rival spiders like {zygiella x notata spider}
DeleteWe heard that these spiders are making their presence known in our area, but we have yet to see one. We are enjoying 'our' Wasp spiders instead! I didn't realise the False Widow sting could be as bad as a bee sting...
ReplyDeleteWhat would happen if I got bitten by this spider
ReplyDeleteIt's not poisonous but it could hurt. It may become irritated for a while but the pain will go away soon.
DeleteWe have been seeing this spider in my sister's backyard near Kelowna BC... it's unnerving 😬
ReplyDeleteThese spiders seem to be everywhere - thanks for leaving a comment.
DeleteThe false blackwidow is my favorite spider of all time especially the males they protect territory and their mate veeery well. I have some as pets.
ReplyDelete