The noble false widow spider ( Steatoda nobilis ) is an invasive species that has come to populate much of Europe, western Asia, as well as North and South America. It was first formally described in 1875. The spider possesses a neurotoxin in its venom which, as well as giving humans a nasty bite, can allow it to consume prey much bigger than itself. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

What has made the noble false widow such a successful species is its cold tolerance, longevity, and ability to produce around 1,000 offspring in a single year – coupled with a bite that can cause neuromuscular paralysis, you can start to see what these spiders are capable of.

In southern England, a noble false widow spider was seen pre

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