| An introduced spider, which is largely
confined to warm buildings and especially greenhouses.
The increase in garden centres has no doubt helped in its
spread. Females of Parasteatoda tepidariorum are
distinctly larger than those of Parasteatoda lunata (formerly
Achaearanea lunata) and sit openly in
the middle of the web, with no evidence of a retreat. We
found this spider to be quite common around the frames of
the Tropical House at Woodthorpe Grange in Nottingham in
September 2013. The spider is also known from indoors
sites at Clumber Park, the Dukeries Garden Centre near
Worksop and outdoors at King's Mill Hospital. |
