Striped ‘climate refugee’ spider discovered in Cheshire
Big, brightly coloured newcomer dubbed “Wendy the wasp spider” by zoo conservationists
We have recorded the first ever wasp spider found in the Northwest – and we've called her 'Wendy'.
The large yellow-and-black spider was spotted during a biodiversity survey on our estate and has been confirmed as the first recorded sighting of the species in Cheshire by an expert from the British Arachnological Society.
I was looking out for plant species and then I saw this big, stripy, brightly coloured spider. I have what you might call a healthy respect for spiders, so my first thought was ‘woah!’ But now I think it’s really cool to have found her.
Rosie Cooper, Estate Biodiversity Assistant
The spider, nicknamed ‘Wendy’ by the zoo team, is among a number of species whose ranges are moving northwards as they respond to a warming world.
They are 2-3cm across the body and spin ornate webs. They are completely harmless to humans.
Ruby Merriman, Chester Zoo’s Estate Biodiversity Manager, said:
“We were really thrilled to find Wendy. She’s a beautiful and fascinating species, and recording a wasp spider in Cheshire for the first time is really exciting.
“Wasp spiders are slowly moving north as their southern ranges in Europe warm too quickly for them to adapt. Some conservation organisations refer to animals driven to migrate by climate change as ‘climate refugees’ – which is a good term. They are moving because of human activity, and we need to make space for them.”
The zoo’s wider estate, which spans 205 hectares, includes wet meadows, ponds, reedbeds, species-rich grasslands, woodlands, orchards and hedgerows, supporting a wide range of wildlife.
The zoo estate supports a range of key UK species, including harvest mice, which are listed on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened, great crested newts and badgers.
It is also a nesting site for barn owls and hosts dozens of dragonfly, moth and butterfly species. Although Wendy sparked a lot of interest with our team, her arrival is a reminder that climate change is already impacting UK species.
It's exciting to see new species like Wendy on site, but her arrival is part of a broader, more worrying trend. Our conservationists work across the world, and we are witnessing the impacts of climate change in real time, from droughts in Chile to floods in Indonesia. It is a major threat to biodiversity.
Scott Wilson, Head of Field Programmes at Chester Zoo
European spiders are among many species finding it harder to persist in their traditional ranges as the climate shifts.
Wendy is a reminder plants and animals in Britain are not immune to this.
We are working to hit net zero carbon at the zoo and boosting biodiversity on our estate to help protect UK species.
