That's the caterpillar of the Large Elephant Hawk Moth, probably the most frequent "What is this bug?" request in the UK.
As usual the only person who hasn't found one this year is me.
Actually, looking again, that's a male, which means that it is more likely to be S.nobilis at that size, and S.paykulliana male isn't regarded as dangerous - just the female.
Before anyone asks, it is because she is bigger than him.
Love the false eyes on your finally found quarry. Excellent photo too.Yay! I found one at last!
Interesting, although I suspect a bit sensationalist and Daily Mail - like article on the False Black Widow in The Independent yesterday.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...f-britains-most-poisonous-spider-8827447.html
Spiders get such terrible reporting. A spider bite resulting in a bit of inflammation or any sort of reaction, especially in a child, will make a national newspaper without difficulty, evben though it amounts to little more than a standard allergic reaction. A wasp sting, which is far more severe, more toxic, and for which an allergic reaction is potentially life-threatening, gets nothing.
Steatoda paykulliana female has never been reported in the UK, and is only believed to be maybe dangerous - no one has been bitten badly enough to do the test
It's a landrover, not sure of the model.
Difficult to be sure from that picture, but that looks like another Steatoda to me, probably S. grossa this time. Native, and pretty harmless.
The caterpillar is indeed Knot Grass.
2 mating beetles, while for some reason the female is feeding on another beetle