New species

How giant spiders are conquering Styria

Close-up of a radiant tarantula(Bild: Christian Komposch/Ökoteam)

In Graz, the most northerly discovery of the radiating tarantula to date was recently reported. Global warming favors the spread of this and other large spider species.

For Styrians with an aversion to spiders, the warmer climate is having a less than pleasant effect: in recent years, there has been an increase in finds of large, exotic-looking spiders that were previously rarely or never seen in this country. This was also the case recently for the author of these lines: A never-before-seen specimen with a considerable body size and an estimated leg span of five to six centimeters (see picture below) was squatting on a house wall in Graz-Geidorf.

Impressive find in Graz-Geidorf: a radiant tarantula(Bild: zVg)

"Very large, conspicuous and massive animals"
When asked by spider expert Christian Komposch from the Graz-based Ökoteam - Institute for Animal Ecology and Natural Space Planning, it turned out to be a so-called radiant tarantula. "Remarkable. This is the most northerly confirmed find in the Graz area to date," says Komposch. The radiating tarantula originally comes from the Mediterranean region and was first discovered in southern Styria in 1977.

New species are introduced one after the other. The most spectacular one to be reckoned with is the true black widow.

Bild: Ökoteam Graz

Due to global warming, it is also spreading further and further north in our region. "They are very large, massive, conspicuous animals," says the spider expert. However, like virtually all native spiders, they are not dangerous to humans. "I have to let one of these bite me anyway, I'd be interested" - that's right, Christian Komposch deliberately lets himself be bitten by eight-legged spiders in order to research the effect. "It's similar with most native spiders, a burning, pulling pain that soon subsides and has no after-effects."

Very painful bite: false black widow(Bild: Christian Komposch/Ökoteam)

The only exception he makes is the false black widow: "I have respect for it. You don't have to worry about life and limb, but the bite can be very painful."

The considerably large Nosferatu spider is no longer a rarity in Graz.(Bild: Christian Komposch/Ökoteam)

Real black widow on the rise
The Nosferatu spider is not dangerous either, but its abundance can be threatening. It is an example of an introduced species that is spreading in Styria. "A few years ago, a discovery was still a minor sensation, but today it is already one of the standard house spiders in Graz," explains Komposch. He expects to see many new eight-legged arrivals in our region over the next few years. "The most spectacular one, which we can expect sooner or later, is the true black widow. In the meantime, the temperatures here are just right."