Wasp spider spotted in Cheshire for first time in UK

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Sept, 16:14 · Archive

A wasp spider, native to mainland Europe, has been spotted in Cheshire for the first time.

The Argiope bruennichi, a black and yellow wasp spider native to mainland Europe, north Africa and Asia, has been spotted in Cheshire by staff at Chester Zoo. The sighting is attributed to rising temperatures during the summer and is part of a trend of species shifting northwards due to global heating.

How it is being reported

• Rare wasp spider spotted in UK county for first time as experts issue warningStaff at Chester Zoo have nicknamed the spider "Wendy" and say it has been noticed in Cheshire following the rising temperatures during our scorching summerThe Mirror · 23 Sept, 15:54
• Wasp spider seen in north of England latest ‘climate refugee’ amid global heatingThe Argiope bruennichi , spotted in Cheshire for first time, part of worrying trend that could threaten native species She is an unlikely harbinger of the climate emergency: a venomous black and yellow spider who spins mysterious patterns in her webs and eats her mates for breakfast. Native to mainland Europe, north Africa and Asia, the Argiope bruennichi – commonly known as a wasp spider – is rarely seen in the north and west of Britain. But a fully grown female has been spotted in Cheshire for the first time by conservationists from Chester zoo, who stumbled across the large, brightly…The Guardian · 22 Sept, 13:31

In this story: Argiope bruennichi · Chester Zoo · Cheshire · mainland Europe · north Africa · Asia

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