Britain`s Spiders – A Field Guide (WILDGuides of Britain & Europe, 21)

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Reports of false widow spiders continue to rise. The term false widow actually describes several species of spider, but the one that gains the most attention is Steatoda nobilis, the noble false widow spider. Detailed accounts and more than 700 stunning photographs highlight key identification features for each genus and species, and include information on status, behaviour and habitats

The great fox-spider likes warmer climates and is more common on the European mainland, particularly on coastal sand dunes in Holland and Denmark. British Spiders a field guide is one of the latest publications in the popular WILDGuides series. Other books in the series can be explored here Huntsman spiders are renowned for the enormous size, with males able to achieve a leg span of between 25 to 30 centimetres. A warm and dry autumn provides a longer season for many of the male spiders, who will roam around for longer rather than finding a dry garage or attic to hide in when it's wet.

For most, the bite from a noble false widow, is nothing more than a short-lived, nuisance, rather like a bee or wasp sting. For a very few people, a bite might develop into something more serious. A study in Ireland of confirmed false widow bites found that some required hospitalisation but this should not be cause for panic. Amongst the scaremongering we should always remember that spider bites are incredibly rare in the UK. The vast majority of us will never get bitten by a spider, and of those few that do, the vast majority will experience only very minor effects. Spiders are in the news again. It happens this time every year. Why? Because now is the time for spiders, in their more-or-less annual life cycle, to reach maturity – in other words, their maximum adult size. And yes, some of them can seem very big. They especially grow large when they have had plenty to eat and, being insect predators, they have grown fat on the full and wholesome menu of all those flies and bugs that nice, warm, sunny 2014 has delivered in such abundance. Reports of extreme reactions are more likely the result of related infections from exposure of the wound. What can you tell us about the different kinds of webs that can be found in the UK and the species that they indicate?

Some of the non-web-builders have fascinating behaviours. In the nurseryweb spider ( Pisaura mirabilis), for example, mature males catch a fly before courting. They wrap it in silk and offer it to a prospective partner – a ‘nuptial gift’. While the female is engaged in eating the gift, the male takes the opportunity to mate.When it's a good summer, but not bone dry, it's good for a lot of insects, which is the garden spider's main food. Hine explains, 'In years like this more of them reach their maximum size and there's enough food to support more of them.' The venom from most of the handful of UK species that can bite is less concerning than the puncture wound the bite causes. Fangs can introduce bacteria into the tiny wounds they create, so if you suspect you have been bitten by a spider it is best to clean the wound and use a local antiseptic treatment. Just as with a wasp or bee sting, antihistamines may help with the swelling and itching but if symptoms do not improve, get worse or develop into other symptoms then it is sensible to seek medical attention. Rarely, some people may be allergic to spider venom, with similar symptoms developing as with a bee or wasp sting allergy. Which species of spider will UK residents most commonly find in their gardens and where? There may be 80 or so spider species in a typical garden. Many are rather small and easily overlooked. Some of the most common spiders are most obvious in the autumn when they mature. Are UK spiders dangerous? An interview with the British Arachnologist Society Gardener's will have a lot of hands on experience when it comes to UK spiders - but are any of these species of UK spiders dangerous?

Otherwise known as Tegenaria parietina, some of these spiders have been recorded to have a leg span of 12cm. With warmer weather, we keep our doors and windows open longer into spider season, and let more of the wandering males in. Warm weather contributes to more spider sightings, but this doesn't necessarily mean more spiders, says Hine, who spent many years dealing with the Museum’s spider identification requests. For example, females of the garden spider ( Araneus diadematus) are very large at this time of year and make conspicuous orb webs among vegetation and on the outside of buildings. False widow spider bites have been a hot topic in recent years, along with reports of bumper crops of house and garden spiders, and news that city spiders are getting fatter. Spider season: looking for loveThere are around 650 species of spider in the UK, ranging from those with a leg span of just a couple of millimetres, to the 12cm leg span of the cardinal spider. Spiders are predators, and they use an impressive pair of fangs to catch prey, and to introduce venom. All spiders have fangs but not all spiders have fangs that are able to pierce human skin. Consequently, there are relatively few UK species that are able to bite us in any meaningful way. Hillyard, P. D. 2005. Harvestmen. Synopses of the British Fauna. Shrewsbury: Field Studies Council. This excellent summary of our harvestman fauna provides accounts of the structure and biology of our 25 species together with easy-to-use illustrated keys and distribution maps.

They eat a mixture of insects, lizards, mice and occasionally small birds. Where am I most likely to find a giant spider in my house? Every issue, The English Garden magazine features the most beautiful gardens from all across the UK and Ireland - both town and country plots, big and small. Inside, you will find invaluable practical advice from real gardeners, plantspeople and designers. There’s stunning photography from the world’s top garden photographers, as well as insightful writing from experts. It’s simply a matter of understanding – fear often comes from ignorance, and the best antidote to ignorance is knowledge. And when it comes to acquiring a knowledge of spiders – at least those of Great Britain – it’s dashedly to find a more informative and accessible book about them than Britain’s Spiders from the Princeton University Press WILDGuides series. They are common in Australia but have been introduced accidentally to parts of the USA, Pakistan, India, China, and Japan.They are popular pets as they have large bodies, are considered to be docile and are easy to breed. Some of the most common places in which you can find a giant spider in your house are behind the fireplace, under the sofa or in the bath. A complete list of the spiders recorded in Britain, indicating the ease of identification as well as rarity and conservation status