Black widow spider established in Sweden

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The black widow spider, known for its powerful venom, is breeding in Sweden, scientists at the National Museum of Natural History say.

Bert Gustavsson told The Local that a man from Varmland in western Sweden who brought a car from the United States found a black widow in it after it had been sitting in a garage for three years. During that period, the spiders had plenty of time to breed.

Ten specimens have been sent to the museum in the past year.

Gustavsson said the spiders are widely distributed in North America, including the northern United States and Canada, where the climate is more extreme than in Sweden.

"Besides, the black widow is a predator and doesn't need any specific food in order to survive," he said.

Black widows are easily identified by the red hourglass pattern on their otherwise dark bodies. The name comes from the erroneous belief that females always kill the smaller males after mating.

The spider's venom is more powerful, ounce for ounce, than a cobra's. But because of its small size, the amount injected is not enough to kill a healthy adult, although the injury can be extremely painful.