False Widow Spider

[escarlata]

I think my son may have found a false widow spider. It was under are washing machine and it looked liked no other spider I normally see in our house. I contacted environmental health, who forwarded me to pest control. When I described the spider he confirmed it could be a false widow. Can anyone ID the spider from the pic. Thank you.

[wildherbalian85]

I contacted environmental health

Yes that is one of two "False Widow" species to be found in this country, it is a Steatoda Grossa.

[Venger]

Looks like a Steatoda grossa to me.
False widow spiders applies to the Steatoda family, not specifically to one spider.

Though the press always seem to use it for one (Steatoda nobilis in particular)

It's not going to chase you around the house so relax, just pop it somewhere dark, like a shed or attic (glass and a piece of guard for handling - they can bite but only in self defence.)


(ah beat me too it Ian )

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Venger

(ah beat me too it Ian )

Yes, but i think my advise would be a bit different... like....

you glass and paper and then go put it out in street, a few doors up maybe?

[squishy]

insects do this all the time; instead of actually being venomous, they just imitate things that are.

just look at these hornet moths, if you saw that form a distance, you'd just steer clear.

of course, that just makes it all the more embarrasing when you call environmental health

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by squishy

insects do this all the time; instead of actually being venomous, they just imitate things that are.

Thing is this spider wasn't imitating anything

[No.9 Spider]

:

Originally Posted by squishy

insects do this all the time; instead of actually being venomous, they just imitate things that are.

Batesian Mimicry, after Henry Walter Bates

I think Squishy is referring to it's common labelling by the general media, rather than the spider trying to mimic a Black Widow.

No.9 Spider

[escarlata]

Hi! I'm glad I was right about the species of the spider. Are they rare?

[escarlata]

HI! Sorry to say I was advised to kill it. Not something I like to do but I did it the humane way. My children are taking it to school. Thought it might be a good school project. Even though they've been in England for a long time, apparently its not that common to see them. Is that true?

[Venger]

Reasonably ccommon in the south/south west (near the coast) but it's spreading north.
An olders distribution map:
British Arachnological Society: Updated UK Distribution

But they've expanded north since then.