Come Into My Parlor: Noble False Widow Spider Observed Preying On Bats

Noble false widow spiders (Steatoda nobilis) originated in the Madeira and Canary archipelagos but have spread to the British Isles and North America. Using a powerful neurotoxin, they paralyze their prey to feed on them. Their bite can be harmful to humans and spreads antibiotic-resistant bacteria. (NUI Galway)

A foreign invader is devastating endangered animal species in the British Isles, according to a new study that reveals the first record of a noble false widow spider feeding on Pipistrelle bats.

First observed in southern England in 1879, the spiders, also known by their taxonomic name Steatoda nobilis, are native to the Madeira Islands of Portugal and the Canary Islands of Spain. Since then, the spiders have spread to Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as to East Asia, Europe and the Americas.