False widow spider up to 230 times more venomous than native species

Dr Michel Dugon of the Venom Lab at National University of Ireland Galway with a Noble False Widow (Steatoda Nobilis) spider. 

False widow spiders are up to 230 times more venomous than domestic Irish species, new research has found, which helps to explain their rapid spread throughout Ireland.

A new study from the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway charts the rapid spread of false widow spiders across the country in recent years.