Britons have been urged to watch out for an invasive wasp spider the size of a credit card capable of hiding in plain sight.
The insect-eater has spread throughout the West Midlands since arriving in England from continental Europe.
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The species was first spotted in Worcestershire in 2025 and has rapidly spread further north in recent years.
Wasp spiders mimic their namesake with distinctive yellow, black and white stripes – but cannot fly.
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Its spiderlings do, however, travel long distances by “ballooning” on silk strands.
Britons should not be alarmed if they see the species, but have been told to take pictures, if possible, and record their presence.
Wendy Carter from the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust said the spider has been also been seen in Herefordshire and Warwickshire.
She told The Worcester News: “In the last week or two, we’ve heard of them as far west as Suckley and as far north as Feckenham with a scattering of sightings in and around Worcester.
“We’d encourage anyone who spots one to take a photo and let us know via a short form on our website so that we can track the spread of these amazing-looking spiders.”
Ms Carter said she recently spotted a member of the species near the small village of Eckington in Worcestershire last weekend.
She told the BBC: “We knew they were in the county because we’d had one record last year and sightings on our borders for a little while.
“Then about nine or 10 sightings were reported, all in the south-east of the county along the River Avon.
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“So I thought I’d go along the River Avon and find another one.”
Despite the creature’s ominous name, the wasp spider is harmless to humans.
Ms Carter described the arachnid as a “phenomenal creature” which was “not going to do us any harm”.
Wasp spiders are most commonly found hiding in long grass and thistles.
Female members of the species are larger and can grow to be about 2 centimetres long, while males typically reach about half a centimetre.
To breed successfully, wasp spiders need three months of warm weather followed by a mild winter.
Currently, the female spiders are laying egg sacs before dying off as temperatures fall later in the year.
Mating for the species is dangerous for male wasp spiders, who risk being eaten by female members of the species as they attempt to breed.
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