The spider recorder for Gwent is asking Cwmbran residents for any sighting of the Noble false widow spider. The results will be shared with the National Spider Recording Scheme.
Michael Kilner said so far there is only one record for a sighting in Gwent and that was just outside Pontypool.
“I am looking for records of the Noble false widow spider, Steatoda nobilis, from Cwmbran and the surrounding area.
“This spider has made lots of scare-story headlines in the papers about people having bad reactions to bites, but in truth the spider is less dangerous than a wasp, and is unlikely to bite people unless it gets trapped in your clothes. There are no dangerous spiders in Britain.
“They are usually found around houses, on the outside walls, garden sheds, and greenhouses, and less commonly indoors. It is quite a large spider, with a body length of around half an inch.
“If you think you have one of these spiders, please post a photograph of it, together with the date you found it, and your street name (no need to give a number).
“I am the Gwent recorder for the National Spider Recording Scheme and at the moment there is only one record of this spider in Gwent, but I am sure it is much more common than that.”
Facts not hysteria about the False widow spider
For more information and facts about false widow spiders instead of the media hysteria read this story.
Questions about other spiders?
For questions about other spiders, please see the British Spider Identification Group on Facebook.
Michael added: “Please do not post about how much you dislike spiders. That isn’t what this post is about.”
Photo credit- Photo taken by David Short and used under a Creative Commons licence.