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FALSE WIDOW
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Just thought you might like to know about one poisonous spider that is in the UK and in particular in the south
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Latin name: Steatoda nobilis Size: Between 7 and 14mms long.
Distribution: Found along most parts of the south England coast. One was recently sighted in Gloucester.
Months seen: All year round Food: Flies and other small insects
Habitat: Usually found in houses and out buildings.
Special features: The false widow spider (Steatoda Nobilis) probably arrived in the UK from the Canary Islands. It was first recorded in Torquay, Devon, back in 1879.
Since then it has adapted well to our colder climate.
False widows belong to a group of spiders which are part of the same family as the infamous Black Widow spiders, although they are nowhere near as toxic.
They are frequently mistaken for Black Widow spiders, which has led to the common name of "False Widow" spiders.
As you can see from the photos they have a dark shiny body.
The abdomen has some pale markings on the top, and there is a creamy coloured band all round the front.
The false widow web consists of many short, irregularly placed silk strands. It's a bit of a mish-mash.
False widows have a bit of a reputation for biting people, although in truth, this is quite a rare occurrence.
You would need to be very unlucky, or go out of your way to be bitten. They only bite if mishandled or provoked.
To those who have experienced it, the bite is said to be similar to a bee sting.
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