Over the last two decades, an uninvited guest has made an appearance in and around homes throughout western Europe, including Britain and Ireland, as well as west Asia and the Pacific coast of North and South America.
It is small and inconspicuous, yet nothing seems to stop its expansion. From its native habitat in the nooks and crannies of caldera rocks in the highlands of Madeira and the Canary Islands, to feeding on shrews, bats and lizards in the suburbs of London and Dublin, the noble false widow spider (Steatoda nobilis) is a threat to ecosystems that you’d probably overlook.
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