The noble ball spider, known as the "False Widow", is on the rise in Germany. The invasive "Steatoda nobilis" is not afraid of native spiders or mammals.
The eight-legged friend incorporates protected pygmy bats and shrews. And it can mark people with its bacterial venomous bites – up to and including amputations. In Ireland, 88 percent of "false widows" victims become victims in bed or dressing, because the non-aggressive eight-legs are not aggressive.