A new species of venomous spider, the Chilean recluse spider, scientifically known as Loxosceles laeta, has been discovered in the city of Porto in northern Portugal.
Speaking to Euronews, one of the researchers behind the discovery, José Manuel Grosso-Silva, an entomologist at the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto, stressed that, because of the species' shy behaviour and habits, there is no cause for alarm. "The likelihood of people coming across this species or being bitten by it is low," he says.
"It is a shy species, not inclined to bite, but its bite can cause significant damage to the skin, frequently resulting in necrotic skin lesions," the study (source in Portuguese) by biologists Francisco Gil and José Manuel Grosso-Silva on the first record of this species in the Iberian Peninsula explains.
The Chilean recluse spider, Loxosceles laeta, is native to the western region of South America and is usually found in countries such as Brazil and Argentina. However, it has managed to spread to regions far from its original habitat, driven by international trade.
The first specimen was found by chance, the biologist recalls, on 10 September 2025, when a male was spotted on a wall in Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, in Porto. The second, also a male, was found on 10 January 2026; the specimen was collected dead from a sticky trap that had not been set for it.
