Home Is Where The Spider Is

A note from the author: Now before I begin proper on this latest missive, allow me to extend my thanks to all the readers of my article The False Scourge of the False Widow and its fellows. I’m glad to say that together we really did make a difference. It is noticeable everywhere, from the general lack of panic that it displayed amongst the public to the dismissive nature of comments when stories about Steatoda nobilis rear their ugly head and the media do their best to instil fear into us in a bid to sell papers and get hits. So thank you, my aim was to reassure the public and save a few spider lives and it is extremely gratifying to see that in some small way this objective has been achieved.

It’s nearing that time again; the nights draw in and the weather grows colder. Can you feel it? It’s time for the tabloids to start spouting their spurious lies again, and this means that the gutter press have had to find another subject for their scaremongering. This time it’s an all too common spider friend that they have in their sights: the house spider. I for one find this absolutely hilarious, as I would struggle to think of a more benign arachnid.

Of course not everyone will be so tickled. House spiders (Tegenaria domestica to the press) unfortunately tick all of the boxes when it comes to people’s problems with spiders. They are large, hairy, prolific and fast. They are also completely harmless! I can understand a little the concern over Steatoda, they look a bit like the infamous Black Widow and can inflict a reasonably painful bite. They are also something that people have only recently started to notice thanks to a recent rapid expansion throughout most of the southern UK, though they don’t seem to have quite made it to the northern reaches. They are an introduced species and therefore their range is not quite nationwide just yet. Tegenaria, on the other hand have been here for much longer; you’ve all seen them and we should all know that they pose us no threat.

Beyond this it is certainly worth mentioning that the press are doing their best to spice things up a bit at least. Whether it’s the obsessed Daily Star, with their nearly constant arachnid-hating, or one of the other tabloids, spiders have once again started to make it back into the news in various ways, normally employing words such as “invading”, “rampaging”, “attacking”, or other such scary terms. Now, as it is that season again I shall bring my efforts to debunking each of these in turn, but this time around I am defending the house spider and the hobo spider that the press currently have their knickers in a twist over.

Let’s start with a few facts. Tegenaria is a genus of spider that is not invasive: in fact it has been introduced to much of the rest of the world from Europe! It consists of around 100 species, of which we enjoy just a few here in the UK. I’m not going to get too deeply involved in differentiating between the myriad subspecies as a: nomenclature and taxonomy of arachnids are headache-inducing at best and are also constantly changing, with Tegenaria currently under revision and some species seem destined for Erategina, so all these scientific names are soon to be redundant anyway. Suffice it to say it can be very difficult to tell spiders apart at times. So if many learned Arachnologists can sometimes struggle with these things – often a conclusive ID can only be obtained with microscopic inspection – how are we supposed to believe that a pest controller or nurse can make a positive identification, often without seeing the actual specimen?

Anyway, back to Tegenaria (or Erategina). Yes, they are the archetypical ‘creepy crawly spider’ that people tend to see as the days get colder. More often than not you will encounter a male out and about looking for a female to mate with/not get eaten by. These poor blighters have enough to worry about without contending with a book or boot heading in their direction! You will often see them late at night, normally scurrying across the floor. I guess it is the movement that is one of the things that really bothers people; they are easily startled and bolt rather than retreat. This rapid movement can easily be misinterpreted as an attack. I have never heard of a house spider attacking anyone. They are a ridiculously timid species and their only thought is for flight, not fight.

House spider, photo by Jade Masters

I mean, come on guys, this is a creature that cannot even negotiate a bathtub! How scary can they possibly be? It doesn’t help that they have a face that only a mother could love. They lack the adorable characteristics of peacock spiders (Maratus volans, for instance) or even the photogenic garden spiders (Araneus) and the proportions are those that will invoke the worst nightmares of the majority of common folk, being all gangly, hairy and lightning fast. However they are great at keeping the number of pests down and apart from the males you see on a quest for nookie, a very shy species that prefer to secrete themselves in extensive tunnel-like webs in corners of sheds. If you are to come across one it is more than likely to be in the bath as, as previously mentioned, they are incredibly inept at escaping the smooth sides of your average bathtub.

So with that introduction to the house spider, let’s have a look at a couple of the stories, shall we? To be clear, I will not be posting links to these tales of arachnid terror as I refuse to add to the advertising revenue of these scaremongering swine. It all started with headlines proclaiming Giant Spiders Set To Invade UK Homes This Autumn, Warn Experts, courtesy of the Mirror. And not to be outdone, the Daily Star gave usAttack Of The Giant Spiders: Scorching Summer Leaves Beasts Poised To Invade Britain.

Despite the fact that experts are warning no such thing – the headline is horribly out of context to the actual quotes given – this is something that happens every year. It gets cold. Spiders like it warm, spiders come inside. It’s nothing new and certainly not worthy of a headline, but I guess it is the kind of thing that will sell papers. I’m also unsure on how any arachnid can invade (surely one of the gutter press’ favourite verbs) Britain from within Britain: I was always of the impression that invasions came from outside of our sovereign lands. Maybe the editor of the Daily Star can help me out with this. I suspect my invitation will go unacknowledged, however.

One point I will concede is that the spiders do seem to be a bit bigger this year than in previous years. There are probably a few reasons for this: one is the weather of late, which has been ideal for the reproduction of the small flying insects that form the primary food source for the spiders. Of course, something else that may have resulted in a boom of prey insects is people indiscriminately slaughtering their predators around this time last year: you only have yourselves to blame, people! Anyway, it gets cold, spiders come in, you’ll see more spiders. Nothing to see here; move along.

After that non-event, they had another go at terrifying the public with the following beauty: They’re Invading! Terrified Couple Under Attack From Aggressive Venomous Spiders. Well, I suppose we should be thankful that they have started to make the correct distinction between venomous and poisonous at last! This aside, they’ve realised they need to give the story a bit of a twist to keep people interested, so we are introduced to a new arachnid terror: the Hobo spider, an “ultra-aggressive monster spider”. Mysteriously, none of the articles or ‘victims’ seem to be able to produce one, instead triumphantly brandishing dead male house spiders. Apparently, “Liam, dad of 3” has been bitten by one of these attack-minded killing machines and has a horrific wound that’s expected to take three months to heal – it looks a bit like a cigarette burn. His partner has encountered and killed around 30 of these monsters, although none of the dead spiders they portray seem to be particularly oversize.

Hobo spiders do exist. They are called Tegenaria agrestis, from the Latin for ‘field’ – their primary habitat. The effects of their bite are largely undocumented as there have been very few bites to go on. They are not aggressive and not monster. They are not native to England and I have never actually seen one in this country. All the pictures I have seen thus far purporting to be a ‘Hobo spider’ are a completely different species. Should Liam’s condition have developed from a spider bite I would think it was once again from a secondary infection rather than the venom itself. Describing to the spider to the intrigued journalist, Liam stated, “their bodies are pretty much normal size but it’s the legs – the front legs are the size of your hand.” The quote appeared immediately below a picture of a house spider barely bigger the one penny piece it was depicted with.

In a similar story involving a four-year-old child, the culprit is described as a 5” house spider even though the pictures attached to the article are of a garden spider (Araneus diadematus) and jumping spider (probably Salticus sp.) respectively. Five inches? The jumping spider maxes out at 5mm, so I am already taking this article with a big pinch of Salticus. (Sorry!). Secondly the picture of the rash on the poor child seems to follow an unusual and atypical distribution pattern, affecting the torso only. That’s a bit odd. Any rash caused by a bite would spread across the body, not be impeded by clothing. In fact, a rash like the one pictured could be something altogether viral or a reaction to a chemical on the skin, not envenomation from a bite. This could be an allergic reaction to a fabric softener for all we know!

UK Jumping spider (possibly Heliophanus flavipes) Photo courtesy of Simon Robson

According to the story, the staff at a walk-in medical centre – not even a hospital – “discovered an insect was to blame“ for the child’s condition and prescribed a course of tablets: a surprisingly well-informed and accurate diagnosis without bloodwork or consultation with an expert, even if we forget that spiders aren’t insects. I’m unsure what tablets you would prescribe for envenomation; however, I suspect that it may have been some kind of antihistamine, a drug family commonly used for allergic reactions. Regardless, it wasn’t considered serious enough for a trip to the hospital. There are endless things that could have caused this kind of reaction: the aforementioned chemical agent, a virus, flea bites, bed bug bites, dust mites bites (or at least the reaction to them) – but no, plainly the spider was to blame. I have never heard of a house spider biting anyone; it’s certainly possible, but every single one I have ever encountered, and we are talking hundreds here, has scarpered. So, I’m sorry, the evidence just doesn’t support the story in this instance. Notwithstanding the quality of these scaremongering reports – bad grammar is rife within – and the hilarious amount of ill-considered misinformation that they endlessly come up with, the only thing that I am horrified by is that this kind of reporting is not regulated in some way.

Now, I am under no impression that this is going to end any time soon; this has already been raging for some time, and it has started to reach a point where once again I have been compelled to say something about it. Spiders have few enough friends as it is: even members of their own (inherently cannibalistic) species want them dead. Let’s not add to their difficulties. Should you encounter one, just trap it under a glass, slide a bit of card underneath and pop it outside. If it’s a male, as it nearly always is – you can tell by their enlarged bulbous pedipalps or feelers – then it likely doesn’t have all that long to live anyway and it is really not interested in you in any event.

At the end of the day, a spider is not smart: they lack the brainpower for reasoned thought and every single encounter with another organism is probably best characterised thusly: “can I eat it or is it going to eat me?” The first response will result in a bite. Venom is used to kill prey; no other reason. The venom kills the prey, or at least renders it helpless, so that the spider can eat up all the juices at its leisure. If it is not something the spider can eat, then its primary reaction will be to flee. Spiders are not aggressive: nearly without exception they will not launch themselves at something they have no hope of eating, particularly not something that is several hundred or thousand times bigger than they, and waste precious venom in the process. Spiders can be defensive, reacting to provocation, but even then a bite will be a very last resort.

So don’t fear them. I don’t expect you to love them like I do, but maybe find a way to respect them. They are fascinating creatures – I will be following this up with a more generalised article in an attempt to persuade you – and it is unfortunate that they key into all our deepest primordial fears. Should you encounter a spider and be unsure of what type it is, don’t forget that there are several aids to identification. There is even a British Spider Identification group on Facebook that will gladly ID any specimen, preferably alive – it might even be me that comments.

So until next time, keep calm and carry on. After all, it’s only a spider.

Weave Had Nothing But Bad Press

This article, which i wrote when the False Widow Hysteria was at it's height, was originally hosted at https://elwellpress.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/weave-had-nothing-but-bad-press/identification-guide/

It has been reproduced here with the kind permission of Christie Louise Tucker

So like a bothersome pest – completely unlike our subject, which sits in a web and bothers no-one – the horror stories about deadly spiders just will not go away. Since the publication of my well-received first article, the gutter press have continued to spout their hysterical headlines: everything from vulnerable single mothers being attacked by spiders to babies eating False Widows, before resorting to writing about a mother just seeing and killing spiders – even though none of those spiders that she had killed was Steatoda nobilis. Bravo!


It’s all getting a little silly and thankfully, due to the efforts of myself and many likeminded individuals, the message seems to be getting though. Increasingly, the articles are being lambasted by the general citizenry for what they are: scurrilous attempts at scaremongering. So, while I’m pleased that people are now a little more informed about Steatoda nobilis I feel it would be remiss of us if I didn’t try to impart the same level of education on the part of Latrodectus mactans, the Black Widow spider, the new target of the tabloids’ sensationalist hyperbole with headlines like “Black Widow spider invasion from US sparks fear of lethal bites.

So we’d like to introduce you to the real Black Widow, and hopefully by the end of this article we can turn the much-feared Black Widow into the much respected Black Widow instead.

What’s in a name?

The Black Widow’s very moniker is designed to spread fear, coined for the female’s penchant for killing and eating the male spider shortly after mating. Far from being the Black Widow’s particular party trick, the males’ fate in the spider kingdom is frequently -although not always- to be eaten by the female. From a logical perspective this can make sense and is not simply a cruel act by Mrs Spider. Male spiders usually die shortly after reaching maturity. Their biological purpose is to become mature and mate. Once this has been achieved the male is redundant. He has passed on his genetic code and his existence is no longer biologically imperative. Please note, however, that the male does not willingly offer himself up: he has a sense of self-preservation and will likely try to escape after performing the deed. They just don’t always make it.

From the female’s perspective, she is about to lay hundreds of eggs which she will wrap up in a silken sac and defend with her life. Therefore, it is sensible to absorb as much nutrition as possible, and a male spider makes a fine meal. The male is sacrificed as a cruel necessity. So technically, all spiders have the potential to be ‘widows’ and there’s no real reason for Latrodectus to claim sole rights to the name. But then I guess just calling it the clumsy black-and-red spider doesn’t really have the same ring to it, eh? For the record, the Genus name Latrodectus comes from the Greek for ‘biting in secret’- they don’t just name these spiders at random, you know!

Taken by Stuart Longhorn, Latrodectus Sp. in natural habitat in Central America

The lady herself

Just like Steatoda, the False Widows –including the species S.nobilis, the Noble False Widow of recent reports – it is the females of Latrodectus that bite. The females are easy to distinguish being many times larger and bulkier than the males. The Eastern Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus mactans) is one of 32 confirmed species, and is usually jet black, (although some variations with dorsal red markings exist) with a highly distinctive red hourglass marking on the underneath of the abdomen of both sexes, although it is more vivid on a female. Certainly experts should not be troubled with the same volume of mistaken Identity cases that Steatoda has caused, resembling as it does so many other UK species currently being slaughtered in its stead. This said there is significant variety amongst Latrodectus with many weird and wonderful variants each more colourful than the last.

Despite the papers’ reports about the abundance and deadliness of Black Widows in the UK, they are found here in very small numbers. They came over in imports from the US, this much is true, but they are isolated to just a few small colonies in the south in and are not likely to be seen. The main reason for this is that they like to stay in their webs and are not likely to attack. In fact, Latrodectus are comically uncoordinated when not in their haphazard webs and could quite comfortably be described as clumsy; certainly more Bridget Jones than Femme Fatale. Subsequently, you are very unlikely to see one or even be close to one, and given their distinctive markings and lack of similarity to other species it is likely that reports will be few and far between. They are also rather small, reaching no more than 4cm or so. So in a nutshell, you’re looking for small black spiders that have a distinctive, easily-seen hourglass shape on the ‘belly’, and stay in a haphazard-looking web. Most of us will go our entire lives without ever seeing one.

Taken by Stuart Longhorn, Latrodectus Sp. in natural habitat in Central America

The reports

We’ll take an article from the stalwart of shoddy reporting, the Daily Star, who have featured a spider story every day this week and show no signs of stopping: Black Widow spider invasion from US sparks fear of lethal bites. This article should be issued to GCSE Media Studies classes for careful language analysis. First, this must be the first time ‘six’ has constituted an invasion. Secondly, all of Graeme Skinner’s quotes have been taken out of context. The line “Black Widows have come in this year” is a statement, not a warning: they come in every year, along with many other species that don’t get reported or become an established species. “Experts fear there could be widespread deaths,” but mysteriously wouldn’t go on the record to comment further on that? Thirdly, the only thing “terrifying Brits” is the tabloids’ misjudged reports.

Ricki Whitmore may have suffered a gruesome leg wound, but it was almost certainly not from the venom or the bite; secondary infection is the most likely cause. Also, “it is only a matter of time before they kill” is a dangerously misleading overstatement, and is directly contradicted in Mr Skinner’ next quote. For the record, nearly anyone can get a Dangerous Wild Animals License, provided certain criteria are met and the license fee (which varies hugely from borough to borough) is paid. We at the Elwell Press feel that the spider’s bite is the least of the Star editorial team’s worries – ifLatrodectus could engage a libel lawyer, the arachnophobes of Wapping would really be in trouble.

The bite

If you are ever unfortunate enough to be bitten by a Latrodectus species, then seek medical attention immediately, retaining the spider’s body in a secure container for examination if possible. Although unlikely to be fatal to a healthy adult, being bitten will be a deeply unpleasant experience. Typical symptoms are localised swelling, nausea, tremors, a fever, and painful muscle cramping. Like Steatoda,Latrodectus has a neurotoxic venom, although it will certainly not rot or dissolve your flesh. Latrodectusbites have killed in the past, although fatalities are extremely rare. The young or the old are particularly vulnerable as their bodies lack the capacity to safely metabolize the venom. However, an effective anti-venom against toxic components of Latrodectusvenom has existed for many years, and been regularly used throughout the world for effective treatment of bites.

As worrying as that sounds, there is another glimmer of good news. As stated previously, you are extremely unlikely to ever encounter a Black Widow spider. The chances of coming across one are infinitesimally small; in spite of recent claims, they exist in tiny numbers in the UK and, like all spiders, will avoid human interaction as far as possible. This round of fearmongering will backfire on the papers as the lack of sightings fail to hold readers’ interest. This correspondent has been asked to identify a great many spiders in photographs of varying quality, some of which were barely recognisable as spiders. None of these have been Latrodectus, and only about 20 percent have even been Steatoda. It would be astonishing should widespread reports of Black Widow spiders surface.

In time, Latrodectus may well become an established species in the UK. As climate change continues to be a powerful force in dictating animal habitat and behaviour, we may well see, in several years’ time, Black Widow spiders becoming more prevalent. In that eventuality, what will we do? Well, I guess we’ll just have to deal with it the same way that other countries where these spiders are abundant do: with caution but not panic, with respect but not fear. Leave well enough alone and no harm will come to you. Deaths from Latrodectus venom are extremely uncommon, normally only occurring in freak instances where multiple bites are recorded.

In the UK, we do not have overtly dangerous or lethal species present in the wild in any great numbers. From an exotic animal perspective, we are a rather boring island. Should we ever reach the stage where such potentially harmful invertebrates are more commonplace, then we will simply need to adapt. After all, if Latrodectus ever became that much of a problem an antivenom is readily available; that there is no antivenom for Steatoda bites should indicate the seriousness with which their bites are to be regarded. So let’s not lose our heads when we have extremely isolated and small numbers of a relatively medically significant spider like Latrodectus present as an interloper from foreign shores. Stiff upper lip and all, chaps! Best foot forward, and in true British fashion, let’s keep calm and carry on.

I spied a spider: But which spider have I spied, eh? A False Widow Identification Guide

This article, which i wrote when the False Widow Hysteria was at it's height, was originally hosted at https://elwellpress.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/i-spied-a-spider-but-which-spider-have-i-spied-eh-a-false-widow-identification-guide/
It has been reproduced here with the kind permission of Christie Louise Tucker

Contrary to popular reports, not every spider in a UK household is a False Widow. Indeed, out of the vast amount of arachnids I have been asked to identify only a very small proportion have been confirmed to belong to the genus Steatoda and even fewer as the Noble False Widow, S.nobilis. Unfortunately a lot of these spiders are being killed due to these cases of mistaken identity (not that you need to be killing S.nobilis either). So here I am going to present a guide on identifying a few UK spiders in the hope of cutting down these instances, I will show you what to look for in a spider to either hopefully identify it as a False Widow or eliminate it from suspicion.

First, however, a few brief disclaimers.

1: There are over 650 species of spider in the UK (of which a dozen are reported to have bitten humans). Obviously I cannot represent even a significant fraction of this number here. What I will be featuring in this article will be ‘the usual suspects’; the spiders that most frequently come up in pictures I am asked to identify. This should allow you to visually identify 80% of the S.nobilis look-alikes you come across in the UK. The list is not exhaustive, however, and you may still come across the occasional oddity.

2: Arachnid markings can vary wildly, depending on the age and sex of the specimen and even upon location. Bear in mind that spiders periodically shed their skin as they grow and as time passes markings may become duller, losing the vivid colours they might have when freshly moulted – this may also cause some confusion. To accommodate this, I will be presenting alternative methods based upon physical characteristics, not just markings.

3. Spiders are broadly defined by genus (Araneus, Amaurobius, Tegenaria, Steatoda etc.) Within these, there can be a number of different species, (or sp.) So if you see XXX .sp that means it can be any species from within that genus. Sometimes there are just a few and sometimes many more – Theridion has hundreds! This can also make identification difficult, but I shall endeavour to present enough information for you to make an educated and informed identification.

4: If you poke your fingers into webs and crevices then you run the risk of being bitten. Spiders are remarkably tolerant and shy creatures that normally run at the slightest disturbance, but they will sometimes bite if given no other recourse. However, no spider will bite you for just looking at it so fear not about viewing them, or taking photos. The key here is to adopt an attitude of respect not fear.

I will be using scientific terminology throughout to describe various elements of a spider’s anatomy, as illustrated in the diagram below.

So without further ado let me present a few of these usual suspects. None of these are False Widows and are not in the family Steatoda.

1.Zygiella sp. featuring Zygiella .x-notata, The Missing Sector Orb Weaver

Photo taken and kindly supplied by Jenni Louise Cox

Most commonly it is the Missing Sector Orb Weaver, Zygiella x-notata, that is misidentified and ends up paying the ultimate price. In truth, these are easy to distinguish from False Widows before you even see the spider! No false widow will ever spin an orb web – the big, pretty, two-dimensional webs commonly seen. A Steatoda web is messy and in a corner, usually with the spider hiding out of sight in a tubular retreat, waiting for prey to get caught in the web. Missing Sector Orb Weaver spiders spin vertical 2-dimensional circular webs that often miss a section (hence the name) giving them a somewhat unfinished look.

Zygiella frequently gets mistaken for Steatoda as it shares the large bulbous abdomen and longer front legs of that genus and has pale markings that can superficially seem similar to Steatoda nobilis. However, the rest of the abdomen colouration is frequently lighter than Steatoda and the glossy, almost silvery abdomen lacks the pale anterior band characteristic of the Noble False Widow, having vertical dark stripes instead. The forelegs are also shorter than Steatoda’s; close but no cigar. This species makes up the majority of the spiders I am tasked to identify. It’s utterly harmless and it is a real shame to see so many of this attractive spider killed through ignorance.

2. Amaurobius sp. featuring Amaurobius similis, The Lace Web spider

Photo taken and kindly supplied by Jenni Louise Cox

Amaurobius pictures usually tend to be either A.similis or A.fenestralis. They are normally misidentified as False Widows as they share a pale, marking on their abdomen and inhabit similar environs to Steatoda. However, upon closer inspection there are several differences – don’t worry, you won’t have to get too close!

The abdomen, whilst similar in markings, is a totally different shape to Steatoda, being more oval (even in a plump female) than the False Widow’s. It is also more matte or maybe satin than the False Widow’s shiny gloss finish. The legs are slightly thicker and it doesn’t have the four dimples on top of the abdomen that characterize Steatoda. An inspection of the patterning on the abdomen will reveal it to be different to S.nobilis, more yellowy-brown than the silver-white of the Noble False Widow. Nonetheless, Amaurobius is the second most frequently misidentified spider and I have seen all too many that have been killed based upon False (Widow) assumption.

3. Araneus sp. featuring Araneus diadematus, The Common Garden Spider

The classic Garden Spider pose: Photo taken and kindly supplied by Jenni Louise Cox

A female specimen awaiting prey. Photo taken and kindly supplied by Jenni Louise Cox

You’d think it unlikely that Araneus could be mistaken for Steatoda, but nonetheless this is the third most frequent suspect for misidentification as a False Widow. Again, simply by looking at the spider’s habitat you should be able to discount it from being Steatoda. Typically found in large, beautiful orb webs (as opposed to Steatoda’s messy web), particularly in September and October, Araneus have somewhat hairy or ‘spiky’ striped legs that are more or less the same length – completely unlike Steatoda. The abdomen shape is also often completely different, having a more triangular shape tapered towards the bottom where the spinnerets are housed, particularly in the case of Araneus diadematus, our common Garden Spider. They also have a fantastic amount of variation in patterning and colouring. The abdomen can be anything from a light brown to black with the distinctive ‘cross’ shape varying from white to silver and sometimes gold. Truly, they are a beautiful native species that can be seen all over the country. Unfortunately they are still often mistaken for False Widows as they have a habit of wandering about between spinning webs – they will usually spin a different one every night! Again, they really do not look anything like Steadoda upon closer inspection and I am surprised so many pop up in ID requests. It is probably due to their general abundance, particularly at this time of year. Incidentally I have been bitten by one of these spiders at the tender age of about 12 when I picked one up and held it too tightly in my fist. Aside from the initial pain of the bite – no more than a pinprick – there were no effects.

4. Tegenaria sp. featuring Tegenaria domestica, the Common House spider

Tegenaria domestica, the one you see scurrying across the kitchen floor, is also inclined to get stuck in baths. Tegenaria domestica; © 2004 by M. Betley (creative commons)

Tegenaria is the one that most people will see running about late at night. Favouring the warmth, they move into our houses this time of year and are one of our most active species. They probably only occur in ID requests due to this frequency of being seen. Usually if you see one out and about it is a male looking for a mate, so pity him and leave him alone. A male spider’s life is hard enough as it is, he doesn’t need you making it any harder (or flatter!) One of the main things that should discount Tegenaria from suspicion of being a False Widow straight away should be they are usually just too big! One of our biggest species, they can easily reach three or four inches (or feet if the general arachnophobe’s estimate is used!) Add to this the general ‘legginess’ and proportionally small abdomen and you should have no issues with thinking this is a Steatoda family member. Even a big female’s abdomen would be small in comparison to her legs and their markings are quite different, almost dappled tan and dark brown stripes. Prone to bolting if disturbed, a glass and piece of card is your best bet, as with all spiders.

5. Segestria sp. featuring Segestria senoculata, the Snake Backed Spider

Photo taken and kindly supplied by Jenni Louise Cox

Segestria doesn’t crop up all that often, most likely because it is somewhat reclusive (though not a Recluse spider). The genus is known largely as the Tube Web spider, from its tendency to hide in tubular retreats in walls. It is one of the larger species in the UK and rather impressive-looking, with large mouth parts (or chelicerae) which in the case of S.florentina are an iridescent green! On the whole Segestria doesn’t really resemble Steatoda; the abdomen is somewhat elongated and the patterning is different. In the case of S.senoculata the pattern resembles that of an Adder, which gives it its common name. In most Segestria, however, the patterning is a noticeably darker.

That said, it is not entirely outside the realms of possibility that someone could mistake this for a Steatoda of some description, especially if they encountered a gravid female, and it is for this reason that I have included the genus here. Segestria has been known to deliver a painful but otherwise harmless bite to humans, and should in no way be regarded as dangerous.

6: Nuctenea sp. featuring Nuctenea umbratica, the Walnut Orb Weaver Spider.

Photo taken and kindly supplied by Jenni Louise Cox

Similar to Araneus – indeed, until reclassified it was to be found in that genus – The Walnut Orb Spider has a vaguely triangular dark brown body and is found on large circular webs. It lacks the cross of A.diadematus but otherwise resembles a duller example of that specimen. One noticeable difference is that it is flatter in profile, allowing it to secrete itself in crevices whilst it waits for unsuspecting prey to blunder into its web. Indeed, umbratica means ‘living in the shadows’ in Latin. Some examples do have slightly lighter patterning and it is another species that could be mistaken for Steatoda. However, apart from sharing the four depressions on the abdomen they share little resemblance.

7: Theridion sp. featuring Theridion sisyphium, the ‘Mother Care’ spider

Theridion Sp. likely T.sisyphium. Photo taken and kindly supplied by Jenni Louise Cox

No, despite its common name, T.sisyphium was not named after a large chain of stores selling baby products; rather for its characteristic of tending to its young after they are born and feeding the hatchlings -not a common behaviour for true spiders. Sadly I have never seen one amongst the many arachnids I have been asked to ID, but I am including it as it does bear some resemblance to S.nobilis. T.sisyphium is, in my humble opinion, another example of a quite beautiful UK species.

With striking markings, this small species belongs to the aforementioned Theridion genus, which contains over 600 known species. this in turn is part of the family Theridiidae (over 2,200 species) which also contains the Lactrodectus and Steatoda genera – the Widow and False Widow spiders of recent interest. As you might expect, it does share many characteristics with these genera, round abdomen and lengthened forelegs amongst them. It is, however, much smaller and more heavily patterned than Steatoda nobilis, with a wonderful marbling and mottled colouration varying from tans and creams to white. Should you be lucky enough to see one, please don’t kill it, enjoy it and know that I am somewhat jealous!

Steatoda

So after all these innocent bystanders, let’s get to the real thing – the False Widow. I will feature the three main Steatoda species commonly found in the UK, culminating with S.nobilis itself.

S.bipunctata – The Rabbit Hutch spider

Photo taken and kindly supplied by Jenni Louise Cox

More than any other False Widow spider, S.bipunctata resembles the infamous Black Widow. She is dark brown, bulbous in abdomen, and generally uniform in colour, although light variants with a small pale dorsal line exist. As with all Steatoda there are four giveaway dimples on top of a very smooth and round abdomen. The legs are longer at the front and these are rather small measuring no more than 3cm or so. Despite their resemblance to Black Widows, S.bipunctata are harmless by comparison.

S.grossa. – The False Widow Spider or cupboard spider

Mature Male Steatoda grossa: Photo: Creative Commons License :Algirdas, 2005, Lithuania. Note that this is a male specimen, evidenced by the slighter build and enlarged pedipalps.

S.grossa looks a little like S.nobilis and has a similar bite, akin to a nasty bee sting that some may react adversely to. It has fewer markings than its close relation S.nobilis,normally looking like a series of arrows on the abdomen, and the distinctive anterior abdominal band. Want a bit of trivia? A painted S.grossa was used in Sam Rami’s Spiderman film as the spider that bit Peter Parker (note: the author does not wish to imply that spider bites may bestow superpowers. Unfortunately.)

S.nobilis – The Noble False Widow.

Steatoda nobilis. Photo taken and used with kind permission of Brenda Averly

Steatoda nobilis, photo kindly supplied by Lauren Whitely

Which brings us to the beastie that everyone was so worked up about in the first place, the Noble False Widow spider. S.nobilis are small, averaging 2-5cm, with smooth-looking legs that are noticeably longer at the front. They generally have a large bulbous abdomen with a pale band round the front and a marking on the top that can variously resemble a skull, a trident, or other patterns dependent upon individual. Once you know what you are looking for, they are very distinctive and easy to spot. They are fairly clumsy when off their web and will retreat from any disturbance.

Males are generally more diminutive, with proportionally smaller abdomens and, if mature, enlarged pedipalps. Even once you have positively identified S.nobilis, there is no need to kill it. A glass and card can be used to safely remove the spider, should you be so inclined, or you can just leave it be and let it continue providing you a service by eating flies and other disease-carrying insects. S.nobilis will not bite unless provoked (like being caught against skin in clothing) even then the bite should be no worse than a nasty bee sting. I’ll say it again one more time and this time paraphrase the great Douglas Adams in my description. DON’T PANIC – MOSTLY HARMLESS. Ignore the nonsense the papers are spouting. S.nobilis has never killed anyone, nor has it eaten any flesh. They have been here for 140 years and are not a new species in the slightest. I have written multiple articles and even made a video in which I handle a specimen.

Hopefully this guide will stop people assuming every spider they see is a Steatoda. We are blessed with a great number of spider species in the UK, each of which forms a vital part of our ecosystem. Without our eight-legged friends we would be overrun with disease-carrying insects and in a far worse state all round. So the next time you see a spider, don’t be alarmed. If you need to remove it, do so using the tried and tested glass and card method and deposit it outside. Spiders are phenomenally adaptive and resourceful creatures and really do not deserve the levels of fear and danger which they have accrued. I will, in time be producing one final article in which I will discuss ways for people to try to overcome their fear of spiders, which is often irrational and based upon misunderstanding and misinformation, though often through no fault of their own. Until then, happy spider spotting!

The False Scourge of the False Widow

This article, which i wrote when the False Widow Hysteria was at it's height, was originally hosted at https://elwellpress.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/guest-post-the-false-scourge-of-the-false-widow/.
It has been reproduced here with the kind permission of Christie Louise Tucker

Unless you’ve been hiding inoffensively in a dark corner (much like our chosen subject) you cannot have failed to notice the recent mounting hysteria surrounding a certain type of spider. Pictures of horrific injuries and tales of ‘vicious’ attacks by False Widow spiders have been dominating the local tabloids with every Tom, Dick, and Harry apparently having a brush with death at the hands of these largely harmless arachnids. Now this may come as some surprise to you, but very little of this hyperbole is based upon truth. The media are fueling and feeding off the public’s fear, which in turn is based upon ignorance. So, I am going to set the record straight in an attempt to support the beleaguered False Widow.

The Invasion

Firstly, the False Widow is nothing new. These spiders have been in the UK longer than you, regardless of how old you are. Believed to have come into the country on goods imported from the Canary Islands, the first documented sightings date from around 1879 and they have been slowly spreading throughout the south of England, living in fairly close proximity to us since then. It is hypothesized that recent changes in climate have prompted the False Widow’s accelerated expansion into most areas of the UK, although it is still confined mainly to the south.

The Spider

The reports of the False Widow that have been circulating have been focusing upon Steatoda nobilis or the Noble Widow. However, this is only one of an entire family of spiders, many of which are present in the UK. The genus Steatoda is a relative of Latrodectus, which contains L.mactans or the Northern Black Widow. What many people don’t realise is that the Black Widow has also made its way over to the UK, albeit in vastly reduced numbers. And it’s the FALSE Widow that people are concerned about! Steatoda has a few species that are present in the UK and all of them are capable of inflicting a bite. But then a Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) is also capable of biting and that bite is extremely benign. (I should know, I have been bitten by one as a child – and yes it was totally my fault, I picked the spider up)

The Bite

Now the bite itself. Steatoda, and Latrodectus (and indeed most arachnids) have neurotoxic venom, which can cause pain, swelling, nausea and, in rare cases, even cramps and a fever. It doesn’t cause the skin to rot and fall off, nor does it result in significant muscle loss. What CAN cause that is secondary staph infection – even MRSA – or potentially a very severe allergic reaction to the venom. However this reaction would only occur in an EXTREMELY small percentage of people.

The most you should expect from a False Widow bite would be some swelling, some pain and possibly generally feeling unwell, and much of that may be psychosomatic – no worse than a nasty bee or wasp sting. If bitten, clean and dress the bite. If you start feeling ill go to A&E for treatment; it’s unlikely to amount to any more than administering pain medication and antihistamines. This said, the effect is likely to be more profound for those in poor health, the very old, or the very young so caution should still be exercised in those cases.

The Coverage

So that’s the spider’s history and the bite itself covered, let’s talk about the reports and the errors within. Aside from the fact that the spider actually pictured varies from Tegenaria gigantea (the large Common House spider you often see crawling about – usually a male in search of a mate) to the Laceweb spider Amaurobius similis (both utterly harmless), in these articles the spiders are described as killers, deadly, poisonous, vicious, and flesh eating. Let’s handle these one at a time.

Killers: these spiders have killed NO-ONE. Peanuts and wasps have caused more deaths than S.nobilis. Then again, so have elephants and stepladders.

Deadly: admittedly most papers do normally specify that a bite can be lethal only in the case of the most extreme allergic reaction. This being the case, why keep spouting about how ‘deadly’ they are? Unless ,of course, you’re in Ireland, where deadly has entirely different connotations, it is a grossly unfair adjective to use – unless you are also going to start referring to peanuts, wasps, bees, ants, strawberries, coffee, or anything else to which you might suffer an allergic reaction to in the same manner.

Poisonous: poison refers to a toxin ingested or absorbed through the skin; venom is injected by an animal by a bite or sting. A small distinction, but an important one – how can you trust a report if they don’t even get the basics right? A False Widow probably wouldn’t taste nice but it won’t harm you by eating it, so they are not poisonous.

Vicious: Steadota, and for that matter most spiders, are NOT vicious. They are shy, retiring creatures that want to be left alone and undisturbed and will only react if they are provoked or threatened. Most False Widow bites occur because the spider has ended up in clothing and was disturbed as the ‘victim’ dressed. That said, shirts and trousers are not the chosen habitat of the false widow; they prefer dark corners and will often be found in a shed or garage. It is only with the arrival of the colder weather that these arachnids start to encroach upon our homes. So they aren’t vicious or malicious unlike some of the pieces of journalistic fiction that have been written about them.

Flesh Eating: despite the sensationalist headlines like ‘Spider Tried To Eat My Leg!’ and ‘Millions Of Flesh Eating Spiders Invade Britain!’ the lower limb of the average human is FAR too large for even the largest spider in the world to consume. S.nobilis would much prefer to feed upon flies or other small insects. These spiders are only around 2cm in size! Hardly the terror they have been portrayed as.

And you’re SCARED of this?! Look at the way it viciously attacks anything in its path!

Image copyright: Richard @ the-poms.com

So hopefully this has gone someway to defuse the hysteria surrounding these unfairly maligned creatures. The truth is that these spiders are not out to get you, they have been around for over 100 years and just want to be left alone. They have no desire to attack ‘like out of a horror film’ and will not eat your flesh. They can bite and it can be a painful one but apart from very, very rare occurrences it will be no worse than a severe bee sting. Spiders perform a vital role in ecology; they control the populations of the small disease-carrying bugs that otherwise would plague us in the summer months and should be seen as useful creatures rather than something to be feared.

The upshot of these horrendous articles is that people are killing every spider they come across, regardless of species and, although our eight-legged friends are probably numerous enough to not be wiped out by our misguided indiscriminate slaughter, ecosystems can be a fragile thing and a natural equilibrium can easily be disrupted. Don’t kill them; if you are concerned then remove them with a jar and a piece of card – they won’t spring at you with fangs bared – and put them outside.

Not every spider you see is a False Widow. They are small with noticeably longer front legs (a trait of Steatoda/Latrodectus) and round bulbous dark abdomens which in the case of Nobilis have a dull cream pattern on them. The press are feeding off people’s fears and the information they are spouting is both inaccurate and unhelpful. Treat any animal with respect and it will have no reason to react in a negative manner. Hopefully the ridiculous furore surrounding False Widows will die down soon and we can return to the pedestrian levels of spider hatred and intolerance these misunderstood yet wonderful creatures have to endure.