Green fanged spider spotted in Torbay

A green fanged spider has been spotted in Torbay this week.

Segestria florentina or tube web spider has made the news recently after being found in Southampton and Exeter.
Last night, a Paignton man returned home to find the rare spider outside his home.

Steve Coleman found the spider late last night, he was shocked to see the glow of the spiders green fangs and he has good reason to be nervous.

Last year, Steve was bitten by a house spider and just 2 weeks ago had to take a trip to hospital after a bite from a false widow. He told us:
“The false widow was in my bed and bit me when I was sleeping, then I woke up from the pain and it was half squished in bed”
He describes the pain as so bad he would ‘rather be kicked in the nuts ten times then that pain again’

Maybe fortunately for Steve, this one was already deceased.

The tube web spider bite is said to be painful, causing a sharp injection like pain but their venom has no lasting effects on people.

Segestria florentina –
-They are also known as a tube web spider  because they spin a tubular web in a crack or gap and wait for prey to step into it.
-The female lays her eggs inside the tube web. Sometimes she will die after the spiderlings have hatched, and they will eat their mother.
-Adults occur from June to November.
-Originally from the Mediterranean, they were probably introduced accidentally to Britain via seaports around 1845.
-Females can reach a body length of 22 mm, males up to 15 mm.

So spiders like Steve but does Steve like Spiders?
Steve told us how he used to have a tarantula but added “I used to love spiders but I’m rather nervous about them now.”

Experts have warned that there could be an invasion of giant spiders this winter.