My poisonous British spiders.

[nomad]

Okay I know everybody has much more deadly ones than outs, but in my back yard, two poisonous spiders have taken up residence. They like my old house and where the mortar has given way, and underneath my window sills, two species have made a home. In the winter time  some cement mixing is in order. I would not mind, but they are both Aliens, we have a lot of them here in blighty. So what do I have, one is the large aptly named Green fanged tube spider, Segestria florentina, which arrived here from the Mediterranean region, via the ports, she seems to spend the day in her hole, with her large legs hanging out, then later in the night, out she pops. The other is, certainly not a favourite, its the Noble Widow,  Steatoda nobilis which came from the  Canary Islands and Madeira. It has a poor eyesight and is very long lived and being here for 130 years can easily survive our winter. I have read that Segestria florentina will kill and eat Steatoda nobilis but mind seems to coexist on very friendly terms, one female nobilis has her hole and web just upon his large neighbour miss florentina. One Steatoda nobilis likes my window sill, just by my back door. Again this species is nocturnal but when it gets cold likes to pop in and say hello for your warmth. I guess these illegals have travelled via a lorry container many years ago up the M4 to Swindon from the port of Bristol. 

Here is a rather poor image of my Miss florentina taken late at night.

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What size are they Peter?

[nomad]

I suppose the Segestria florentina is about three inches from leg to leg. Big by British standards. Steatoda nobilis are smaller, they look like the far more dangerous black widow but have a white marking on the abdomen. Steatoda nobilis when it comes into contact with humans, especially when it feels threatened, will often bite. People react to its toxins differently, some have pain and swelling for an hour or two, some have had very bad reactions, the pictures of them being quite alarming and are certainly life changing. Its bite is especially dangerous to someone with a severe medical condition. I afraid Miss Steatoda nobilis under the window sill by my back door had to be moved carefully, but these spiders are very hard to get rid off, once you have them they are there to stay, move them and others take their place.  The older the house, mine was built in the late 19th century, the more you are likely to get in your backyard, especially if you are a townie like me. It seems both species moved in this year.

[nomad]

I might add the reason Steatoda nobilis is becoming so widespread in Britain, is that the like so many Aliens that have been introduced here, the native population, in this case our spiders cannot complete with it and people forget that for them, this must be a nightmare scenario. For S. nobilis diet includes other spiders that are often larger than themselves. However, as many spiders live in a different habitat to S. nobilis they are probably not on the menu.  I have recently watched a video of S. nobilis attacking a larger spider. The female especially has an amazing speed, confronting its prey head on but before the attack, throws in an instant an amazing array of silk web that tie up the other spider's legs and then moves in for the kill. Segestria florentina would be different proposition altogether and then there would I feel be only one outcome in favour of the larger spider who will also eat most spiders it can get and any other insect for that matter. Segestria florentina is the biggest European segestriid spider.

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Hate them, out of ignorance I know but just don't want them near me.

[trehopr1]

My, Miss florentina certainly looks to be an intimidating and scary creature with her long legs, blackish color, and naked (near hairless) appearance ! In a way she reminds me of another scary-ish 8 legged apparition on this side of the pond; our resident Woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata). Although, only half the size of Miss florentine these little beasties with exaggerated chelicerae are reddish-orange in color with longish legs at the front and middle and cream colored naked abdomens.
They sometimes get into the house as the weather gets cold in the fall or as it warms up in the spring. Usually seen only under stones, brush, or amongst piles of firewood.

[nomad]

We have woodlouse spiders here, but I have never seen one, quite a beast you have. Do you have black widows in your area? Some members here must have poisonous spiders around their living space, so do tell. I have noticed that the most poisonous spiders like the black widow are fairly small, and that there are some very poisonous small brown jobs in the US and elsewhere. The large Australian funnel-web spiders, especially the Sydney funnel-web spider, Atrax robustus are certainly exceptions to that rule.  

[nomad]

According to the experts,  Segestria florentina dies off by November/December in the UK but tell that to this male of that species, out and about in my garden on a cold January night. Apparently it is the males who usually bite if disturbed.