What a beauty! ID needed though?

[runnybabitwarren]

This little thing has been sitting in the bath for a few days, but I never took it outside because of one little reason - red legs.
It's also quite big (photos don't do the the thing justice!) and my sister thinks it's a terantula (sp?). Although somehow, I doubt it!

It's a beautiful spider, but I would hate to release it and then find it was an alien specie which would either have died immediately due to weather or bred and done damage to the food chain.


(don't worry, it hasn't been in the glass long. 5 minutes at the very most!)

Thanks so much!

[faz]

hi and well come to WAB runnybaitwarren

it looks like a false widow spider one of the steatoda species they are common in the uk so it is ok to let it go
and no its not dangerous to humans

[runnybabitwarren]

OK then, thanks! Will be releasing it soon.

[wildherbalian85]

As already said it appears to be a Steatoda. From the what i can see of its markings i would say probably a S.Nobilis.

[John_M]

Agreed, it looks like it's S. nobilis.