Wasp spider seen in north of England latest ‘climate refugee’ amid global heating
The 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
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The 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 striped arachnid in a rewilded field.
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About this article
- Length
- 109 words · 1 min read
- Published
- September 22, 2026
- Byline
- Donna Ferguson
- Source
- The Guardian