Rare wasp spider
Report and photo from Toomas Näär
Translation: Liis
Wasp spider
Wasp spider Herilasämblik Argiope bruennich
Picking grapes at Häädemeeste I discovered an interesting and probably uncommon wasp spider between the vines.
THe female wasp spider was really big and with a striking exterior (length some twenty millimetres). The male spider was more modest and about three times smaller.
For information . the wasp spider bites! The bite is not poisonous, it feels rather like the sting of a wasp or bee.
I sent information about the wasp spider find to Urmas Tartes and asked for a comment: "In recent years wasp spiders have been seen in Saaremaa as well as on the mainland coast where the climate is a little milder. It seems that the species is widening its distribution area, it has already been found in Finland too. As a parallel case the striped shield bug (Graphosoma lineatum) can be mentioned: today it is found in the whole of Estonia; years ago the striped shield bug was seen only on Ruhnu island.”
At present more than five hundred spider species are known from Estonia.
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