One of the world’s most venomous spiders, the ‘funnel-web spider’, was spotted in Aksaray

One of the world’s most poisonous spiders, the orb-weaver spider (Argiope lobata), has been spotted in Aksaray. The spider, which has begun to be seen in various parts of Turkey, is causing concern among citizens.

The orb-weaver spider (Argiope lobata), known as one of the most poisonous spider species in the world, was seen in Aksaray. Research has shown that this spider, which is generally found in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, was also spotted in Gümüşhane, Ankara, and Kahramanmaraş last August. The spider, seen in a garden along the Aksaray-Adana highway, drew attention with its web, size, and unique shape. The orb-weaver spider, usually found in Africa, Southern Europe, and Asia, has caused anxiety among citizens since its sighting in the city. It was also observed that the orb-weaver spider, which has offspring, made nests for its young about a meter apart, and the web it spun on the branches of a Leyland cypress tree caused the branches to sag. During the filming, it was captured on camera that the orb-weaver spider caught an insect in its web and wrapped its prey as if packaging it.

“A large web between the trees caught our attention”

Kerem İz (32), who saw the spider, said, “We were sitting on a bench here with friends. A large web between the trees caught our attention. We looked with friends and saw a different type of spider, something we had never seen in our lifetime. There was a huge spider. We also researched it online. This type of spider is not commonly found in Turkey; it is a species that exists in Africa. It is quite a poisonous spider. It is one of the most poisonous spiders in the world. At my age, I have never seen such a type of spider before. We were surprised and concerned. There are several young ones as well. They have made webs too. Their webs are made about a meter apart. We were mostly affected by the size of the spider. That’s why we researched it. When we learned that it was poisonous, it made us quite anxious. It is also multiplying here, and it has made nests in many places. We observed a few of them. Some are small, some are big. These also made us anxious.”