The venomous spider has been spotted in Dalkey.
There's been a surge in sightings of false widows in a Dublin seaside town.
The venomous spider has been spotted in Dalkey in recent weeks.
The insect, which has a shiny black back and cream coloured designs, has been in Ireland for more than two decades. It's believed the spiders first came here through fruit or exotic plants heading for garden centres.
Zoology lecturer Dr Michel Dugon says a bite from one isn't serious for most people:
"For most people, if you get bitten by a false widow what will happen is that it will feel like a wasp sting," he explained.
"So it would be painful but it would not have big consequences."
"But in a very very small number of cases, people actually tend to have stronger reactions that may require short hospitalisation."
Symptoms of their bite can include severe pain at the bite site, stiff limbs as well as redness and swelling.
