Sep 5, 2010 7:24 PM
Can anybody tell me which spider this is?
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I agree, it looks like a false widow. Web searches suggest false widows have a reputation for biting people but they only bite if mishandled or provoked. The bite is said to be similar to a bee sting.
Birdwocha
Yep, Steatoda nobilis - the second being a male and the first is also prob. a male. This is the most notorious of the six species of False Widow (Genus Steatoda) found in the UK, this species having been introduced through trade over the last century. It has increased in numbers and distribution markedly over the last 20 years and has been increasingly implicated in bites to humans - as others have said this is still a rare event and usually nothing to write home about. That said a handful of people have had longer lasting and more severe symptoms.
My advice if you do not feel comfortable with then inside your home is to simply to kick them outside to a distance you do feel comfortable with but do not resort to insecticide sprays or pest exterminators as there will be plenty more in your neighbourhood.

