Incy wincy spider? Or something more sinister?

Published: 2 September, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

A RETIRED journalist who ended up in hospital from a spider bite may have encountered a cousin of the notorious Black Widow.

The suggestion that a species known as the False Black Widow may have been to blame came as the New Journal tried to identify what had bitten Don Forrester.

He was hurt after unsettling a spider in Islip Street, Kentish Town, while laying down decking last week. He later told reporters how he had a “brush with death” during two days in the Royal Free Hospital.

It led to our newsdesk being inundated with possible sightings of “deadly spiders” and suggestions about the culprit’s identity.

One reader even came to our offices with an eight-legged creature, ­later identified as a large garden spider and re­leased into Regent’s Park.

With sage words of advice, London Zoo experts warned against panic and said the chances of coming across a tropical spider in Camden were minimal – describing the likelihood as “almost never”.

And Craig Walker, senior keeper for the invertebrate department, added that the False Black ­Widow theory may be compromised by unusual yellow stripes seen on the spider that bit Mr Forrester.

He said: “Non-native species do make it in the UK and turn up in supermarkets. We’ve also had cases where they’ve been found amongst car parts. 

“But the number of spiders native to Britain is in the hundreds and there are many types and sizes. I often find spiders that I think are unusual but then it turns out they are native. 

“Generally, most things people find are going to be native so it’s always advisable to look them up on the internet or in a library before jumping to conclusions.”

There are 640 species of spider native to the UK and only 12 have been known to bite humans.

Some readers with close interest in spiders, however, believe the False Black Widow may have been in­volved. In recent years a number of people in Britain have been bitten by the Steatoda Nobilis, to use its official name. 

It is thought to be the country’s most venomous spider, although nobody is thought to have been killed by it.

According to the Natural His­tory Museum, this species came from Madeira and the Canary Islands more than 100 years ago, and has become established in southern parts of the UK – moving northwards as global warming has led to milder temperatures.

Distinguishable by its brown bulbous abdo­men and pale markings, it lives in walls, fences and the bark of trees. It eats insects, other invertebrates and other spiders.

A carpenter who contacted the New Journal after last week’s story said he found a number of the venomous spiders amongst his wood around 10 years ago when he had a workshop in Islip Street.

He said: “There were a few of them. It looked like a black widow to me but when I looked it up in a book it didn’t quite match, so I took it to London Zoo to identify it. 

“The arachnologist told me it was a false widow – not native to this country. 

“He wouldn’t let me take it back as he said he didn’t want it mating with native species. I don’t know where it came from but obviously they are around.” 

A warning on the Natural History Mus­eum website states that while the initial bite of a false widow is not usually felt, within a short space of time “a local burning sensation is followed by radiating pain, far more severe than a bee or wasp sting.” 

Writing on the site, one victim described how the pain immediately increased in intensity “like being scalded, stabbing pains spread first to armpit then down the right arm. Also flu-like symptoms, aches, sweats, fatigue, perspiring, cold and shaky, sick and giddy...”

But when the New Journal visited the insect house at London Zoo this week, Mr Walker said the yellow stripes spotted on the spider that bit Mr Forrester made the Steatoda No­b­ilis an un­likely culprit.

He suggested some possible alternatives, but stressed that without photographic evidence it iS impossible to be sure.

One possibility could be the Steatoda Paykulliana, a type of false widow spider that is native to Southern Europe, West Asia and North Africa. Another possible culprit is the Steatoda Grossa, commonly known as the cupboard spider, whose bite can cause blistering and general weakness.

“How dangerous a spider bite can be varies widely from person to person,” Mr Walker said. 

“All spiders are poisonous or venomous but it is just to overpower their prey. 

“It’s just unfortunate that this useful thing to a spider is occasionally very harmful to people.”