A shipment of olives arrives and the ‘intruder’ found inside sets off alarm bells

A shipment of olives from Córdoba has caused a stir in the UK after a venomous spider was discovered hiding among the cargo. The unexpected guest was found at a nursery in West Sussex, where the owner and his son came across a specimen of Macrothele calpeiana – also known as the Spanish funnel-web spider – a large species with a potent bite.

Spider invader hides in olive shipment

“The son was driving the forklift when he spotted it. He only caught it out of the corner of his eye, slowly crawling across the yard,” said the nursery owner, speaking to The Daily Mail, who asked to remain anonymous. Alarmed, the young man warned his father after watching the spider disappear under a plant pot.

They shared a photo of the creature on social media, where arachnid experts quickly identified it.

The presence of the spider set off immediate concern, especially as it coincided with another unsettling incident earlier this week.

Shaun Webb, a British tarantula enthusiast, took to Facebook to report that a parcel containing two venomous tarantulas he had ordered from Colombia had been delivered to the wrong address near Bristol. “If you’ve got my package, for the love of God, don’t open it. There are tarantulas inside,” he warned.

Fortunately, Webb later confirmed that the person who received the package hadn’t opened it and returned it safely. “I’m pretty sure it would’ve been quite a shock if they had,” he admitted. “I wasn’t thrilled – shipping animals is stressful enough as it is. But mistakes happen and thankfully it all got sorted quickly.”

The missing tarantulas, from the Xenesthis immanis species – also known as the lesser Colombian black tarantula – can grow up to 8.5 inches long. Though venomous, their bite poses no serious threat to humans. Shaun, who has been breeding tarantulas as pets for over a decade, compares them to goldfish – creatures that are meant to be watched rather than handled.

Both incidents have reignited fears among arachnophobic Britons. “New fear unlocked,” one user commented on Webb’s post. Meanwhile, the nursery story from West Sussex is a reminder that even something as innocuous as a crate of olives can deliver a colossal fright.

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