Noble False Widow spiders, have been spotted in the UK, recently found in the north of England, Aberdeen and South Lanarkshire. Scientists predict the spiders will soon reach other parts of the country and potentially pose a risk to native wildlife. The Noble False Widow spider is, as the name suggests, often confused for the Black Widow spider, and belongs to the genus Latrodectus - who possess medically significant venom.
But where are the False Widows spreading to?
Dr Chris Terrell-Nield, a scientist at Nottingham Trent University told Express.co.uk that False Widow spiders have been in the UK for a long time, but tend to appear as the weather warms.
Dr Terrell-Nield said: “False Widow Spiders (Steatoda nobilis) have been in the UK for a long time. The first record is from Torquay in 1879.
“They occur throughout the year, but mainly in summer. They like warm, dry
habitats, so often come into centrally heated houses.
“The species is widespread along much of the south coast and established in Essex since at least 1990.
Read More: How to spot false widow spiders: What to do if the spider bites you
False Widow Spiders: The spiders are spreading across the UK say experts (Image: GETTY)
“False widows are clearly spreading, especially in the last 25 years and with warm summers such as 2018 and warm winters such as now, a more northerly and westerly spread is likely.
“Although most records are in an arc south of London, they occur patchily in the South West, East Anglia and the Midlands. There are also individual
accounts from North Wales and Cumbria.
The most northerly record is from Orkney, although probably transported there, as elsewhere.”
The spider has a brown bulbous abdomen with cream coloured markings which can often look like the shape of a skull.
The False Widow
