The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Nosferatu spider is spreading rapidly in Germany - two hotspots in particular in focus

2023-03-22T09:10:36.474Z


Toxic but harmless: the Nosferatu spider is spreading further in Germany. Sightings can be reported on a Nabu internet platform.


Toxic but harmless: the Nosferatu spider is spreading further in Germany.

Sightings can be reported on a Nabu internet platform.

Hanover – Named after a vampire: the Nosferatu spider (Zoropsis spinimana) sounds and looks scary – but it is not dangerous for humans.

Specimens of the spider species are being seen and reported more and more frequently.

An expert from the Lower Saxony Nature Conservation Union (Nabu) explains why the spider species spreads so quickly and what to do if you see it.

Nosferatu spider: climate change favors spread

The original habitat of Zoropsis spinimana is the Mediterranean.

In Germany, the spider species was first detected in Freiburg in 2005 - now nationwide.

According to the Nabu sighting portal and

naturgucker.de,

15,254 Nosferatu spiders were reported by mid-September.

Hotspots are therefore NRW and southern Germany.

In the meantime, however, she is also at home in Lower Saxony and central Germany.

"The first Nosferatu spiders found in Germany are probably holiday souvenirs that then multiplied in the shelter of the houses.

Climate change and the associated mild winters are now promoting the spread of the animals," explains Frederik Eggers, team leader for nature and environmental protection at Nabu Lower Saxony.

Experts cannot say exactly how many copies there are in Germany.

+

Sightings of the Nosferatu spider can be reported on a NABU internet portal.

© Nabu/Robert Pfeifle/dpa

Zoropsis spinimana: Spider stays on house walls, summerhouses and balconies

The spider belongs to the curled-hunting spider family.

With a body length of almost two centimeters and a leg span of up to six centimetres, it is quite conspicuous.

Although the Zoropsis spinimana is one of the web spiders, it does not catch its prey with webs.

It mainly hunts insects.

In the original range of the spider species, they primarily stay on trees and rock formations.

In Germany you can find the spider around and on buildings.

House walls, garden houses, balconies and terraces are among the characteristic places to stay in this country.

But you can also encounter the Nosferatu spider on vertical panes of glass.

Because: She has special adhesive hair on her legs.

Spider Sighting: Carefully carry outside and report sighting

If you encounter the Nosferatu spider, don't be afraid.

According to Nabu, all spiders are basically poisonous, but the Nosferatu spider is not dangerous to humans.

Although she can penetrate human skin with her claws, her bite only feels like a bee or wasp sting.

But she would only bite if she felt irritated.

Accordingly, one should not touch the spider with bare hands.

Better put a glass over the spider, slide down a piece of cardboard and release it outside again.

If you come across a Nosferatu spider, you can report it on the Nabu sighting portal and on

naturgucker.de

.

"With the help of this reporting app, documentation of the occurrence of this species and the factors influencing its distribution should be made possible," reports Eggers.

Photos help to determine whether it is actually said spider.

(hk)

List of rubrics: © Nabu/Robert Pfeifle/dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-03-22

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-27T16:45:54.081Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.