Black Widow Spider Stows Away To Iceland In Grapes From California

A bad of green grapes from California, purchased in a supermarket in Garðabær, also contained an exotic guest, Vísir reports: what appears to be a black widow spider.

“We bought the grapes two days ago from [discount supermarket] Krónan, and had eaten some of them the day before yesterday when we decided to eat some more last night,” Jón Helgi Steingrímsson, one of the discoverers of the spider, told reporters about the night in question when they noticed their guest. “After we rinsed the grapes and put them in a bowl, my girlfriend saw the spider and we freaked out a little bit. Then I saw that red hourglass on the spider.”

Jón reportedly put the spider in a jar, where it has been ever since. It will still take an entomologist to determine for sure if the spider is in fact a black widow—there are several look-alikes.

The couple are still waiting on word from the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority on what steps to take next.

This is not the first time an exotic insect stowed away in food to Iceland, not even where spiders are concerned. In 2017, MBL reported a noble false widow spider was found in a packet of blueberries from Portugal.

Remember, folks: rinse and inspect your fruits and veggies before consumption.