Photos and descriptions of a young man from Lower Austria make you feel uneasy. Apparently he was bitten by a spider at the end of March – his entire leg became swollen and painful. Doctor’s diagnosis: The bite of a thorny spider was the cause of the misery. But how dangerous are spider bites really?
Let’s start with the comforting fact: spiders that are dangerous to humans are rare in Austria. They are also shy animals. “They usually only bite when they feel threatened,” says Christoph Hörweg, curator of the Arachnoidea collection at the Natural History Museum in Vienna.
Spider bite is often confused
However, it is unclear how often spider bites actually occur. “Many people think they have been bitten by a spider. But from a purely scientific point of view, a spider bite would only occur if you observe or even notice the spider so that an expert can confirm that it really is a spider.” Many factors would make documentation more difficult. So you also need to know when spider season. Often stings or bites from other insects are mistaken for a spider bite.
It cannot be clearly determined whether the young man in Lower Austria was actually bitten by a spiny spider.
Nevertheless: Most of the rare spider bites recorded in Austria can be traced back to the house or nurse’s thorn finger. These are one of the few native spiders that penetrate human skin with their jaw claws that we can actually encounter. “Theoretically, a water spider could also bite, but you almost never come into contact with this specimen,” says Hörweg.
There are ten different thorn-finger species in Austria, which in turn have different habitats. The nurse’s thorn finger is only often found in late summer in so-called “Gstettn”, while the house thorn finger can be found already in May and also in houses. According to Hörweg, the first discoveries of the Green Thornfinger were made in March, for example in semi-arid grassland.
The symptoms resemble wasp stings
The symptoms of a nurse’s thorn finger bite are similar to those of a wasp sting. Initially severe pain that can last for several hours. Over time, redness, itching, swelling and, very rarely, nausea may occur. “After 24 hours you shouldn’t feel anything anymore and the bite on the house thorn finger is not that extreme,” says Hörweg. “Secondary bacterial infections often play a larger role.”
Poisonous banana spider in local supermarkets?
People are rightly afraid of the Brazilian wandering spider, which, as the name suggests, only (or mainly) occurs in Brazil. A supermarket in Lower Austria was closed after an alleged sighting of the so-called banana spider. However, Hörweg sees little reason for concern here: “The majority of bananas that come from the EU do not come from Brazil, but from Costa Rica or Ecuador. There are some related species there, but they are not that dangerous to humans.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
