A British nursery unknowingly imported Europe's largest spider, the venomous Spanish funnel-web, through a shipment of olives from Cordoba. The nursery owner was alerted by his son, who spotted the spider crawling across the yard. The species, Macrothele calpeiana, is known for its size and aggressive behavior, making it notable among arachnologists. After sharing the sighting online, the spider was identified and later taken in by a spider enthusiast in Hartlepool. The encounter highlights the potential for non-native species to be transported with goods, raising ecological concerns.
Working with plants, the nursery owner is no stranger to wildlife. 'Honestly, we're a nursery so we see bugs and spiders all the time,' he said. But even for him, its sheer size stood out. 'That was the only thing,' he said. 'It was impressive. I think it's the largest spider in Europe.'
It 'has for some time been considered to be Europe's largest spider' according to a 1989 description of the species from the British Arachnological Society. 'It has also gained a reputation for being aggressive when disturbed and capable of administering a painful bite,' the description said.
This species builds elaborate webs, with the entrance to their burrow being funnel-shaped and adorned with silken trip wires. 'Taxonomically, they are in the infraorder mygalomorphae which includes the trapdoor spiders and tarantulas.'
He just saw it out of the corner of his eye walking slowly across the yard. 'He rang me and said there's something big just walked across the yard and under a pot.'
Collection
[
|
...
]