Spider: Will the “eight-legged vampire” also settle in Luxembourg?
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SpiderWill the “eight-legged vampire” also settle in Luxembourg?
LUXEMBOURG – The Nosferatu spider is moving from south to central Europe. Specimens could arrive sooner or later with us. The point with experts in the Grand Duchy.
Germany is currently a small eight-legged media star: the spider Nosferatu. Those who have already met it know that the animal is not that small. “They can have a diameter of two centimeters and a wingspan of six centimeters,” explains Lieke Mevis, of the non-profit organization natur&ëmwelt. In Luxembourg, this rather imposing animal for our latitudes has however become rare until now: now, there has only been one confirmed observation by photo – and this already dates back two years.
“We can’t tell if it’s a spider that traveled with us or if it’s part of a fixed population until there’s more data,” says Mevis. “In general, the Nosferatu spider is gaining ground,” confirms Alexander Weigand of the National Museum of Natural History. It is certainly possible that populations in Luxembourg have simply gone unnoticed so far, but it is also possible that there is not yet a natural route of spread so far, as is currently observed along of the Rhine Valley.
“That doesn’t mean it can’t happen one day,” he said. Via the Moselle, in particular.
The fact that the spider is migrating so far north is due to global warming, as Lieke Mevis explains: “It’s only a matter of time before it gets here too.” The animal is indeed native to the Mediterranean region. So far, it has generally been seen in homes.
“It certainly has a dangerous name, but that is not the case”, wants to reassure the natur&ëmwelt specialist, its venom is just as harmless for humans and can at worst cause an allergy. In addition, the spider only bites if provoked. The sensation is that of a light wasp sting. There may be swelling, pain for a few hours, itching and swelling.
don’t kill her
The spider may have a bigger impact on the ecosystem, but it’s hard to say at this time. “There are species, like the Asian hornet, which supplant the original ones, says Lieke Mevis, others do nothing at all”. The problem is that most of the time, we only notice it “when it’s too late”, she explains again. Even if that turned out to be the case for the Nosferatu spider, there wouldn’t be much to do, because unlike the mentioned hornet, the spider is not a social species whose nests can be destroyed.
“Furthermore, there is no poison that only kills a particular spider. We then invade more harm than good to the ecosystem”. Ultimately, this is the course of climate change: “Some species will move on or go extinct.”
Anyone who sees the second or third specimen in Luxembourg can report it to the inaturlist.lu platform. This is the database with which the Natural History Museum and natur&ëmwelt also work. And if you don’t want to have a spider discovered in your apartment, you can simply release it outside with a glass and some paper, explains Alexander Weigand.