Spider Hitches a 6,000 Mile Trip to North Devon
A SHOPPER at Somerfield in Holsworthy got more than she bargained for when she discovered a South American spider hiding in her shopping.
The creature, later identified as a Huntsman spider, was found in a bunch of bananas from Ecuador alongside an egg sac.
Although it is not said to be dangerous, the vibrant orange/yellow colour of the spider, which is a little bigger than a 50p piece, and the bright green miniature babies that later hatched are unmistakably foreign.
David Trott, customer services manager at Somerfield in Holsworthy, said: "A lady who was on holiday in Holsworthy from Wiltshire brought back some bananas on Saturday that she had bought earlier in the day with a spider in the bunch.
"We rang head office who advised us to contact Exmoor Zoo who came down on Sunday. We had kept the spider in a large tub next to some warmth as advised to keep it alive.
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"We were not concerned. Once we had received some advice it was fine, but we were surprised. This has never happened at this store before.
"It was more of a novelty factor than anything dangerous but it brought a bit of excitement to the store."
Staff at Exmoor Zoo where the spider has been re-homed have named her Donna after Somerfield's ambient trading manager, Donna Faulkner, who was on duty with David when the bananas and spider were returned.
Steve Eddy from Exmoor Zoo said: "The spider is doing all right after her ordeal.
"It is unusual and a very rare occurrence. We have a crab spider from a box of bananas found two years ago and this one is the second spider to be homed at the zoo.
"We plan to keep her there, but they do not have a very long life expectancy."
● Female Huntsman spiders can grow up to 30mm and males to 22mm. Their legs extend sideways. Main habitats include buildings, banana plantations, secondary forest and rocks. Cosmopolitan in tropics and subtropics, they are a familiar spider in SE Asia and the Caribbean where it is welcomed in homes because it eats cockroaches.
At night, it emerges from its hiding place to wander over walls. They do not create webs. They are not dangerous but their venom causes mild symptoms in humans.
This is N Devon: 26th March 2009
