Brynhildur discovers sibling spider of black widow in Reykjavík grapes

Brynhildur Helgadóttir discovered a sibling spider of the black widow lurking within a bunch of grapes yesterday. The household was startled, and the Natural History Institute has taken the creature for examination. Helgadóttir hopes the spider will be named in her honor.

While slicing grapes purchased earlier in the day, Brynhildur noticed a light brown spider fall from the bunch into her kitchen sink. Initially uninterested, she rinsed it away but soon decided to inspect the grapes more closely. “When I looked into the cluster, I spotted the big brown spider, which is the sister spider of the black widow,” she explained.

At first, Brynhildur mistook it for the black widow itself due to a red spot on its back. “It had comfortably set up a nest and was likely carrying eggs, and there was silk everywhere in between. My heart raced when I realized… at first, I thought it was a black widow, so I called my husband, ‘There’s a black widow in the grapes!’ I was quite shocked.”

Feeling uneasy, especially with two small children at home, she acknowledged the danger posed by the venomous spider. Their reaction combined laughter and stress, highlighting the intensity of the situation.

Concerned, they contacted the city of Reykjavík, not expecting much of a response. However, officials arrived within 15 minutes to collect the spider and transport it to the Reykjavík Family Zoo. According to the zoo’s social media, the spider is a member of a black widow subspecies, likely the northern widow, which has potent neurotoxic venom, though it is rarely fatal. The Natural History Institute will conduct further analysis.

Helgadóttir expressed her hope that the spider will be named after her, stating, “I requested that when they took her away, I asked if she could be named after me, jokingly suggesting we might get free entry to the zoo to visit our former ‘child.’ I’m hoping she will be named Brynhildur.”