Spider with Loads of Red Mites?

[tigger]

I thought I'd found a red spider this morning... then on closer inspection realised this spider was covered in what I think are red mites.

Could someone confirm this for me please.

It would also be great to know what type of spider it was. It was only about 8mm long, found in my back garden in Dorset.





Many thanks. Jane

[Lance Morgan]

These are mites which hitch a lift on arachnids and insects. They do not appear to do any harm.

[Venger]

Your spider is a female Steatoda nobilis

[Lance Morgan]

Venger that is a False Widow Spider. Can they bite?

[Venger]

False widow spider applies to all Steatoda sp, not just one species (though it's usually applied to S.nobilis and S.grossa)
They are a bit less tolerant and are more likely to bite in self defence, but that doesn't mean they'll always bite.
Many spider can bite, but many don't, some can't penetrate human skin.
Just give them the same respect as a wasp - you know they can sting but they don't do it all the time.
It's not as though many people go around picking up spiders for fun - and if you do then it's at your own risk. They are quite delicate in our heavy mitt hands.

[naturegirl]

You are correct Lance, it is a False widow spider and they are spreading from all along the south coast inland. Records are turning up from various places inland which shows how it is spreading. They were known from your area only about 10 years ago but have spread all along the south coast of England. I'm in south east kent and have them here.

They can bite but only in self defense. They do not want to waste their venom on us as we are not their prey (quote by Venger). Accidentally touching or squashing them will cause them to bite (it would me too!).

A bite apparently, is no worse than a wasp or bee sting and sometimes is not felt at all. Symptoms can vary from nothing to an allergic reaction. Bites or stings vary considerably as some times you can get what is called a 'dry' bite where nothing is injected.

The main thing to do is just be aware that they are there and leave them alone, you will be fine. Appreciate their beauty as they are lovely.

Naturegirl

[Venger]

Depends on the person and the bite - they can cause a mild form of Latrodectism - cramps, nausea, flu like symptoms or sometimes just like a bee sting. As I said it depends on how much venom is injected and how the person reacts.
But don't fear them, just dont go sticking your fingers in its face

[Pudding4brains]

Hi All,

Originally Posted by Lance Morgan

These are mites which hitch a lift on arachnids and insects. They do not appear to do any harm.

The latest updates on my knowledge about these suggests that the ones we are looking at here are parasitic rather than phoretic.

These little red blobs supposedly would be larvae (not even nymphs yet) of predatory Mites of the families Thrombidiidae (such as the Velvet Mite) or Erythraeidae (such as genus Leptus).

See the explanation with these images:


The supposedly phoretic mites I've come across so far look quite different:


All this is just me quoting various sources I might not even fully understand and that might also be just wrong. So if you have good reason to believe you are correct about the red blobs on this spider being "just" phoretic please do set me right

Arp

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by naturegirl

They were known from your area only about 10 years ago but have spread all along the south coast of England. I'm in south east kent and have them here.

Erm try 129 years

They were first found back in the late 1879. Often found in and around port areas in the south.

False widow spider, Steatoda nobilis - Natural History Museum

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by tigger

I think this picture realy does show the pattern of this species very well... nice photo