Predation on a pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus, by the noble false widow spider, Steatoda nobilis

The noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis is a globally invasive species with implications for public health and possibly for native ecosystems. Here, we report on a case of predation on a protected species of vertebrate, a pygmy shrew Sorex minutus in Britain. The importance and novelty of this...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEcosphere (Washington, D.C) Vol. 14; no. 2
Main Authors Dugon, Michel M., Lawton, Colin, Sturgess, Dawn, Dunbar, John P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.02.2023
Wiley
Subjects
false widow spider
Invasive species
predation
Protected species
Public health
Snakes
Sorex minutus
Spiders
Steatoda nobilis
Sturgess, Dawn
venom
Vertebrates
α‐latrotoxin
United Kingdom > UK
England
Ireland
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Summary:The noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis is a globally invasive species with implications for public health and possibly for native ecosystems. Here, we report on a case of predation on a protected species of vertebrate, a pygmy shrew Sorex minutus in Britain. The importance and novelty of this report are: (1) this is the third documented case of S. nobilis preying on a vertebrate in five years, suggesting that small vertebrates are likely to be a more frequent component of their diet than previously thought; (2) this is the first case of a Theridiidae spider preying on a shrew in Britain; and (3) this is the first case of predation on shrews by the genus Steatoda globally. Overall, S. nobilis fits the profile of a habitual vertebrate‐eating spider.
ISSN:2150-8925
2150-8925
DOI:10.1002/ecs2.4422