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| 1 | 2 | 3 |  » Stats |
Members: 34,106
Threads: 51,314
Posts: 561,367
Top Poster: glsammy (13,488)
| | Welcome to our newest member, ozburt | | |
Welcome to the Wild About Britain forums | | | |  | 
10-10-2008, 03:11 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 5
| | | False Widow Spider
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. |
10-10-2008, 03:22 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Coast
Posts: 1,579
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
|
10-10-2008, 03:23 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 1,660
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
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  )
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You can't get 100% species confirmation from a photo - just a reminder. |
10-10-2008, 03:43 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Coast
Posts: 1,579
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Quote:
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? |
10-10-2008, 04:44 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: knowle, solihull (just south of b'ham)
Posts: 2,274
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
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 
__________________ If you've never done anything to regret, you've never done anything. My wildlife gallery -adam H- |
10-10-2008, 07:26 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Coast
Posts: 1,579
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Quote:
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  |
10-10-2008, 07:49 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North Wales
Posts: 729
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
: Quote:
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
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No.9 Spider |
10-10-2008, 08:47 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Hi! I'm glad I was right about the species of the spider. Are they rare? |
10-10-2008, 08:51 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
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? |
10-10-2008, 08:54 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 1,660
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
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.
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You can't get 100% species confirmation from a photo - just a reminder. |
10-10-2008, 09:15 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Not embarrassed he was nice, agreed with me when I gave the description. Its about 10mm in length with the pale markings xmx |
10-10-2008, 11:43 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Coast
Posts: 1,579
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Quote:
Originally Posted by Venger | I knew that Grossa were a lot more widespread then nobilis... but Orkney??? |
10-10-2008, 11:58 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 1,660
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Surprising isn't it, not sure if they'll survive there - bet the wish they never got off that ship :P
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You can't get 100% species confirmation from a photo - just a reminder. |
11-10-2008, 02:27 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: On the edge of Romney Marsh, Kent
Posts: 1,100
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Sorry but these SPIDER guys know their stuff!!!
And if they say that they have not yet made to the Orkneys? then they haven't!!!
These guys have only just recently made it to me, and I'm in the extreme South East of the country????
Trust me on this!!
Naturegirl 
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First, do no harm! |
11-10-2008, 03:35 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 1,660
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
No NG, they have made it to Orkney, or at least they've been recorded there (see map)
Previously they've been recorded as far as, well around the Scunthorpe area.
The last set of records (see map) has them in Orkney.
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You can't get 100% species confirmation from a photo - just a reminder. |
11-10-2008, 07:18 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Coast
Posts: 1,579
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Quote:
Originally Posted by naturegirl Sorry but these SPIDER guys know their stuff!!!
And if they say that they have not yet made to the Orkneys? then they haven't!!!
These guys have only just recently made it to me, and I'm in the extreme South East of the country????
Trust me on this!!
Naturegirl | They have been south of the midlands for many years  |
11-10-2008, 09:14 AM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: essex/suffolk boarder
Posts: 849
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
they seem to do ok in my green house they thrive well in there lol
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Life is something that everyone should try at least once. |
11-10-2008, 04:58 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Well, I feel a bit silly now. After doing more research & listening to you guys. I thought i'd stumbled on a rare species lol. Anyway its the first time I've been n this site and I've gained a little more knowledge from my experience about the Steatoda species. Thank you. |
11-10-2008, 05:07 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 1,660
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
You're welcome, we're all quiet verbose , so come back with more questions anytime!
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You can't get 100% species confirmation from a photo - just a reminder. |
12-10-2008, 04:21 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: On the edge of Romney Marsh, Kent
Posts: 1,100
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Sorry guys!!!
I was of the wrong opinion here that they had only just made it to the extreme south east recently! (wrong information here!!)
I had NO IDEA that they were as far north as the Orkneys!!!!
Blimey guys!!! You poor souls!!
Naturegirl
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First, do no harm!
Last edited by naturegirl; 12-10-2008 at 04:22 AM.
Reason: typo
|
12-10-2008, 04:33 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 1,660
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
You may have been thinking of Steatoda nobilis NG, furthest north, somewhere around Birmingham. (maps not upto date though I think)
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You can't get 100% species confirmation from a photo - just a reminder. |
12-10-2008, 08:32 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Coast
Posts: 1,579
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Quote:
Originally Posted by Venger You may have been thinking of Steatoda nobilis NG, furthest north, somewhere around Birmingham. (maps not upto date though I think) | the only maps i know of are those used by or derived from the NBN Gateway, like the one that you linked to for the grossa. Anyway these maps are in serious need of upgrading. |
19-11-2009, 10:24 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Preston, Lancashire, North West
Posts: 41
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
Steatoda grossa has also been recorded up in Cumbria North West. a woman had to go on life support cuz she had an allergic reaction to the venom. bloomin interesting stuff tho
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Wildife Is Much Easier To Understand Than People |
22-11-2009, 02:26 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: near newcastle
Posts: 186
| | | Re: False Widow Spider
have just managed to stop laughing and can only just see my laptop screen through the tears-----how,escarlata, do you kill a spider humanely??
not tell it its going to die any minute?
hide the instrument of death from the afore-mentioned spider?
not keep it bound and gagged for any length of time before dispatch?
not allow it to make any last plea for clemency?
give it a mind-numbing injection before dispatch?
skip the roll of drums?
sorry but the giggles are starting again......
r.i.p. spider
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