The Nosferatu spider, originally from the Mediterranean region, is more prevalent in Germany than previously thought. A study by NABU revealed that by 2022, it had spread to almost every part of the country, with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania being the only exception. Now, the spider has been detected nationwide. It is one of the largest spiders in Germany and one of the few capable of biting through human skin.
The Nosferatu spider (Zoropsis spinimana), originally from the Mediterranean region, is more widespread in Germany than previously believed. According to the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), data from a nationwide reporting portal indicated that by 2022, the spider was already common across most of the country, with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania being a notable exception. However, reports from the north are now increasing. The first sighting of the Nosferatu spider in Saxony occurred in early 2021, and by the following year, it had also been detected in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.
In a study published in the spring of 2024 in the journal Frontiers in Arachnid Science, Alexander Wirth and Gaby Schulemann-Maier, nature watchers from NABU, revealed that the range of the Nosferatu spider is 2.3 times larger than previously estimated. "These spiders have likely spread even further by now," Schulemann-Maier stated in a NABU press release. The Nosferatu spider was first recorded in Germany in 2005 and has since expanded rapidly across the country, according to the nature conservation organization.
Robert Klesser from the Natural History Museum Leipzig commented on the initial discovery in Saxony, noting, "Such spiders rarely come alone. Once established, they reproduce, and if they find a suitable cellar, they may build up a small population."
The Nosferatu spider is active year-round, with both adults and spiderlings often spending the winter indoors. NABU notes that a unique feature of this species is its ability to cling to vertical glass surfaces, thanks to special adhesive hairs. Despite belonging to the web-spinning spider order, the Nosferatu spider does not construct webs; instead, it actively hunts its prey.
The spider, part of the curled-feet spider family, is increasingly being found outdoors in parks and gardens. Hubert Höfer from the Natural History Museum Karlsruhe attributes the spider's spread in Baden-Württemberg to rising temperatures in recent summers. The Rhine Valley, in particular, has seen a significant increase in Nosferatu spider sightings.