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LONDON – Citizens of Great Britain have been warned to prepare for an invasion of exotic spiders. This comes after a new species was discovered in Cornwall. This spider has not been recorded anywhere else in the world. Experts warn that the new species can be dangerous and carry diseases.
Anasaitis milesae – a small jumping spider – measures less than 3 millimeters and was found on the campus of the University of Exeter in Penryn. He was previously found at a location 30 miles away. Nowhere else in the world have scientists recorded this spider. However, it is related to other species found in the Caribbean, meaning it is likely to have arrived in the UK on plants imported from that region. British newspapers inform about it The Guardian.
It was named by jumping spider specialist Dmitri Logunov after his former colleague Claire Miles, who died last year. However, according to the expert, Britain should expect to see more previously unseen tropical species thanks to global warming and international trade.
In addition, they could also pose a risk to the survival of some native British species, warned Helen Smith, a conservationist from the British Arachnological Society. “When new, exotic species spread, especially outside urban areas, the likelihood that they will invade less common native species increases. In addition to fighting for prey, a new species of spider can bring new parasites and diseases.” she explained.
However, Anasaitis milesae is not the only distant species they have discovered. Up to around 50 non-native spiders have been recorded in Britain. The tube spider, a non-native spider known from the Mediterranean region, is now also found in many cities in the south of England after it was originally discovered in Bristol.
