Nicholas came running up to the third floor yesterday to pant, “Lorien! Where’s your camera?! There’s a spider with the British flag on its butt!”
That’s a statement that’ll get me running down the stairs. After, of course, I ask whether or not it’s yet been killed. “Not until we’ve got photographic evidence!”, Nicholas replied.
The spider didn’t quite have a Union Jack plastered across its bum, but I can see just what Nicholas was going on about:
Google says that it’s a type of Redback spider, which is related to the Brown and Black Widows. Highly venomous, with bites ranging from mild to death (without antivenom). Only the females bite, and based on size (inch? inch and a half?) this was definitely a female. The kids say that although this is the first of the British-Butt Spiders they’ve seen, we do have many, many of the more traditional single-stripe redbacks.
Charming!
One Comment
Lorien,
I’m living in Cochabamba. I found your picture of this spider while trying to identify the one I found in my window. I wonder if it’s the one. Did you find yours in Bolivia? Sounds like you had quite an adventure down here.
Regards,
D