New to
Nottinghamshire in September 2016, when recorded at
Attenborough NR by assistant reserve manager Tim Sexton,
who provided us the lower two photographs. A
second record followed quickly, when a healthy population
was found at a north Nottinghamshire garden centre, where
it must have arrived with stock. Now probably fairly widespread
acrossmuch of urban Nottinghamshire.
One of the 'False Widow'
Spiders, it has often been incorrectly blamed by
the TV and Press for a number of reports of bites in the
south of the country. The vast majority of these reports
are completely unverified and although S. nobilis can
bite if provoked, it is unlikely ever to do so. Thanks to
incorrect reporting and sensationalising claims by the
Media, this Spider now has an unwarranted reputation with
the public. |
