A biodiversity survey at Chester Zoo found a yellow-and-black wasp spider, confirmed by an arachnological expert as the species’ first recorded sighting in Cheshire. The zoo nicknamed it Wendy; experts say wasp spiders are moving north as temperatures rise.
Chester Zoo estate biodiversity manager Ruby Merriman said the spiders’ southern European ranges are warming too quickly for them to adapt. Some conservation groups call climate-driven animal movements “climate refugees”; Merriman said the spiders are moving because of human activity and that people need to make space for them.
Chester Zoo says wasp spiders are harmless to humans. Their bodies measure about 0.8 to 1.2 inches, and they spin ornate webs.
