Podcast “important today”
The Nosferatu spider was just the beginning: How climate change is attracting more and more insects
The Nosferatu spider, which originated in the Mediterranean region, has meanwhile spread almost throughout Germany
© Robert Pfeifle / Nabu / DPA
“Nosferatu – A Symphony of Horror” was one of the first horror films. However, when we hear ‘Nosferatu’ today, we tend to think of a spider. And thanks to climate change, not only this species is becoming native to us.
The Nosferatu spider has caused terror in recent months because the creepy crawly, which migrated to us from the Mediterranean region, bites and is poisonous. But it is also true that most spiders bite – although our spiders in Germany are usually quite harmless to humans. Now, in the cold months, they flee to our cellars, to dry and warm places. In the very rarest cases, we get a bite from the Nosferatu spider. And if you do get bitten, you won’t turn into a vampire right away, don’t worry. We have to get used to the fact that more and more “new” insects are coming to Germany, says the biologist Lisa Schwenkmezger in the 412th episode of the podcast “important today”: The climate is changing, we now have much warmer winters in Germany, that This means that thermophilic species are more likely to spread.”
Not just Nosferatu spiders: How climate change attracts insects
The Nosferatu spider isn’t the only nasty creepy-crawler we’ve found. The reason for this is not only climate change. “On the one hand, there are neobiota, i.e. non-native species, these are species that are introduced into new areas through human intervention, through trade routes, transport, trade in goods.[[ThesearetobedistinguishedfromthespeciesthatareindependentduetoglobalwarmingExtendthedistributionareatothenorthInourcasetheseareprimarilytheMediterraneanspecieswhicharenowincreasinglycommonhereTheyfindtheirwaytoGermanyontheirownandalsomanagetosurviveherebecauseofthechangedclimaticconditions”saysLisaSchwenkmezgerinaninterview”importanttoday”editorLauraCsapo[[DavonabzugrenzensinddieArtendiedurchdieKlimaerwärmungselbständigihrVerbreitungsgebiet RichtungNordenausdehnenBeiunssinddasvorallemdiemediterranenArtendiejetztvermehrtbeiunsvorkommenDiefindenselbständigihrenWegnachDeutschlandundesauchschaffenhierzuüberlebenwegendengeändertenklimatischenBedingungen”sagtLisaSchwenkmezgerimGesprächmit”heutewichtig”-RedakteurinLauraCsapo
So we have to get used to the fact that more and more little animals are becoming native to us in Germany, which were previously more likely to be found in the south. They like to settle on domestic balconies. However, the biologist Lisa Schwenkmezger does not leave the insects completely unobserved: “We keep databases, monitor such species so that we can see how the distribution area is changing, where do they occur at all, first create the knowledge, where are these species and Then let the public know.”
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