A team of scientists from an Irish college have found that the Noble False Widow spider - which is 230 times more venomous than the average spider in Irish homes - is spreading here.
The new study, published in international medical journal Toxins, demonstrates that the Noble False Widow spider possesses venom up to 230 times more potent than that of native Northern European species it routinely encounters in and around our homes.
The team of scientists from the Ryan Institute in NUI Galway has found that not only is the venom of the Noble False Widow much more potent but the spider is also able to adapt its attacking behaviour to prevail in different battle scenarios.
The team investigated the potency of its venom and compared it with the venom of some of the native spiders it competes with for available resources.
Overall, the Noble False Widow spider killed and ate 95% of its opponents over the course of the study.
Over the past five years, the team at the University’s Venom Systems Lab, led by Dr Michel Dugon, have been studying a wide range of characteristics specific to the species including its venom, symptoms after envenomation, ecology and behaviour.
Dr Dugon, senior author of the study, said: "Over the years, we have learned a lot about the Noble false widow and its venom. This study is another important step to understand the true impact this species has on the ecosystems it invades throughout the world."
Dr John Dunbar, Irish Research Council Post-Doctoral fellow, Venom Systems Lab, Ryan Institute, NUI Galway and co-senior author of the study, said: "The tiniest amounts of venom - about 1,000 th of a raindrop - can cause medically significant symptoms in humans that are about 250,000 times larger than them. "
Joint first author of the study and NUI Galway graduate, Sean Rayner, added: "Over the past number of years we have seen a noticeable increase in Irish populations of Noble False Widow.”
The team of scientists are encouraging members of the public to email them at falsewidow@nuigalway.ie to report sightings of the Noble False Widow spider.
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