Deadly noble false widow spiders are now successfully spreading across the UK, according to a leading bug expert.
Up until now they’ve only been biting people in the south of the country, but experts say the venomous insects are now regularly spotted as far north as Manchester.
Boffins also state they have received reports of the skull-shaped scaries biting locals in the Midlands as they begin to make their homes north of the M25.
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The species have been a common site down south since the 1980s having first hit UK shores in the 1870s stowed away on cargo ships from their native Madeira and Canary Islands.
False widow bites usually leave a hole and can become red and inflamed.
Paul Hetherington, the director of fundraising at Buglife, told your Daily Star: “We are certainly seeing insects appearing beyond where you would normally expect them to and have been over a number of years now.
(Image: Getty Images)
“It is true our native ones are starting to move further northwards.
“For example the dreaded False Widow Noble Spider, that has all the horror stories written about it, that’s a non-native species that was originally found in southern England but generally did not breed here so it dies out over winter and then more would come in.
“It now breeds here quite happily and can be found pretty much up to the northern tip of England on a fairly regular basis, so it has a greatly expanded territory and moves around a lot as our climate has warmed up.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The bug boffin added: “There have been sightings of them in Manchester and reports of people being bitten by them in the Midlands, which is again well further north than where they would traditionally be found.
“They can bite, they are cautious and frightened spiders, but if you stand on one or roll over on one in bed or put a foot in shoe with one in you will get bitten by them.
“They are only one of four spiders in the UK that is capable of puncturing human skin and the only one with a venomous bite but it should not be worse than getting stung by a wasp.”
Mr Hetherington claimed other insect species were also making the move further north as temperatures increased.
He added: “Others (moving north) include the Hornet Hoverfly, because it is a hornet mimic. Five to 10 years ago you would have found it in southern parts of Britain because it generally migrates over.
“Nowadays you will find it well up beyond the Midlands and places like Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire. There is a greatly expanded range for it now.”
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