Austria Documents Over 200 Tarantula Sightings in Two Months as Species Expands

Published on 8 November 2026 – 16:15 GMT+1

More than 200 tarantula sightings have been reported across Austria since early September, according to recent data.

The observations were logged through the citizen‑science platform naturbeobachtung.at, with experts confirming 175 of the cases.

Styria leads the tally, recording 66 sightings, followed by Lower Austria with 49 and Burgenland with 43. Carinthia also reported occurrences.

Autumn triggers heightened tarantula activity as they seek winter shelters. Some individuals enter residential buildings, flats or garages, while in the wild they retreat to underground burrows or rock crevices.

Researchers note several noteworthy finds. A South‑Russian tarantula was discovered in Tulln, Lower Austria—an unusually western location for the species.

“Previously there were no records in the surrounding area,” said Carolina Trcka‑Rojas of the Austrian Nature Conservation Association.

A black‑bellied tarantula was spotted in Stossau (lower Gail valley) at the end of August, marking the westernmost Austrian record for that species to date.

Austria is home to two tarantula species: the South‑Russian tarantula and the black‑bellied tarantula. Both belong to the wolf‑spider family and can bite when threatened, though such incidents are rare.

A bite may cause pain, redness and swelling, but is generally not dangerous for healthy individuals.

The South‑Russian tarantula was first observed in Austria in the early 1920s around Lake Neusiedl and Vienna. The black‑bellied tarantula appeared in Styria in the 1970s.

The expansion is not unique to Austria. A 2025 study reported a concurrent rise of tarantula populations in the Czech Republic after decades of decline, attributing the trend to warmer, drier summers.

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