Not Listed on the Receipt

When Icelanders bring home their groceries or Christmas trees during this holiday season, some bring home items not listed on the receipt. According to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, it is not unheard of during the holidays for spiders and other insects to accompany some products, such as imported Christmas trees from Denmark and grapes from the US.

Several black spiders with red dots appeared on clusters of grapes in late November and early December. Seven of them were brought to the Institute of Natural History. One of them turned out to be a widow spider (Latrodectus) – a term that describes more than 30 different species, some of which are poisonous, while the rest were jumping spiders (Salticidae). At the Institute, there are altogether 13 samples of widow spiders, which have been brought to Iceland with imports, the oldest one being from 1998.

All of the spiders brought to the Institute recently were found in the capital area. All of them were found in clusters of grapes from the US, which had been purchased at the same grocery chain. They were so-called daring jumping spiders (Phidippus audax), a common jumping spider in North America. In 2017 and 2018, red-backed jumping spiders (Phidippus johnsoni), four of which were brought to the Institute, were found on some US grapes.

There is no reason to fear these spiders, according to the Institute. In the unlikely event that they bite, the bite will only cause minor soreness and redness.