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Fen Raft Spiders were once on the brink of extinction(Image: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\nAdult female Fen Raft Spiders can grow up to the size of your palm – but arachnophobes will be pleased to hear they are harmless to humans, despite their intimidating appearance<\/p>\n
11:37, 20 Oct 2025Updated 11:37, 20 Oct 2025<\/p>\n
Fen Raft Spiders were once on the brink of extinction(Image: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n
Homeowners have been told to keep an eye for a new visitor that might be creeping into their homes this autumn.<\/p>\n
A huge fish-eating spider, which was once thought to be extinct in Britain, is making a comeback in a huge win for conservation experts. And now the “fairly shy” hunters, which can grow to be as large as a human hand, have reportedly been spotted in UK homes.<\/p>\n
The Fen Raft Spider is one of the largest spiders in the UK, with a leg span of up to 7cm. The species is easily recognisable with its chocolate-brown body and distinctive cream-white stripes along each side of its body, and – as their name suggests – these spiders can literally walk on water.<\/p>\n
Fen Raft Spider were almost wiped out in the UK by 2010 due to habitat loss. But after years of conservation work by the RSPB to restore wetlands, their numbers are rising rapidly, with reports of them reappearing in parts of Norfolk.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Brits given Halloween warning that could lead to infestations<\/a>READ MORE: ‘Hundreds of ladybirds are taking over my house and have started peeing on me’<\/a> Despite their appearance, they are not venomous and they pose no threat to humans. Their diet is mostly made up of other invertebrates such as small spiders, dragonfly larvae and pond skaters, Bournemoth Echo<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n However, they have also been known to catch small vertebrates such as fish and tadpoles, according to the RSPB.<\/p>\n Fen Raft Spiders are semi-aquatic spiders, named for their ability to run across the surface of the water to catch their prey, ‘floating’ like a raft.<\/p>\n They will actively hunt instead of building webs to catch their next meal. Their long legs are covered in tiny hairs that detect the slightest of vibrations on the water’s surface, which they can then run across to capture their prey.<\/p>\n Back in 2010, the future looked bleak for Fen Raft Spiders, with the remarkable arachnid on the brink of extinction. But a successful translocation collaboration between Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Sussex Wildlife Trust <\/a>has helped to save these critically endangered spiders.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_The-Rare-Reft-Spder-with-its-lunch-a-Caterpillar.jpg\")
Fen raft spiders are one of the UK’s rarest species of arachnids (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_The-great-raft-spider-or-fen-raft-spider.jpg\")
Fen raft spiders will actively hunt their prey instead of building webs(Image: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n