Black widow spider found in crate in Portlethen

Image source, Science Photo Library

A black widow spider has been found inside a crate that was transported from America to Aberdeenshire.

The venomous spider was discovered at a business in the Portlethen area.

The Scottish SPCA said it was alerted to the black widow, which contains the notorious latrotoxin in its venom, on Thursday.

It said the spider had "sadly been put to sleep" because there was nowhere in Scotland to safely re-home it.

Ch Supt Mike Flynn of the Scottish SPCA said: "Sadly the spider had to be put to sleep as there is nowhere in Scotland to safely re-home it, and we could not keep it in our centre due to severe health and safety concerns.

"Bites from the black widow can be dangerous to humans and can cause severe muscle pain and muscle spasms."

The discovery is the second time a black widow has been found in the area in recent years after another was discovered in a piece of pipe sent for testing from America in 2013.