More and more often seen a false wolf spider in Brabant

On Waarneming.nl, the Dutch can pass on plants and animals they have spotted. Nationwide, the website received nearly 1,600 reports of false wolf spiders this year. That is more than five times as much as in all of 2021.

The spider originated mainly in the Mediterranean, but is increasingly able to survive in the Dutch climate, Matthijs Marskamp notes. He is a spider expert at the Oliemeulen in Tilburg. “We used to have long and harsh winters. As a result, the spider often died in the winter and we saw it less.” That has now changed due to climate change. “In warm weather, the animal is much more active and we see it a lot more.”

Together with Limburg and Gelderland, the number of sightings in our province has increased the most compared to last year. In 2022, the number of sightings in these three provinces increased by five times. The wolf spider was least often seen in the province of Zeeland.

This map shows where the wolf spider has been observed per municipality

Summer Notifications

Most spiders were seen in the summer this year. For example, more than 1,300 of the national reports this year came in after June. Marskamp knows why people saw false wolf spiders more often. “In cold temperatures, the false wolf spider settles in houses between walls. Because it is still warm in October, we see it outside longer.”

People who encounter a false wolf spider in or around their home should leave it in place, advises Marskamp. “But if you come across the spider in the house and want to bring it outside, you can put a glass shade over it, put a piece of paper under it and then go outside.” A false wolf spider is also not so quick to attack someone. “Only if it feels threatened. Then the spider gets on the defensive and can start biting.” One reassurance: such a bite is harmless, it will not make you sick.

Number of reports of the false wolf spider in Brabant over the years