The Spanish funnel-web spider, which is thought to be Europe’s largest, was spotted at a plant nursery in West Sussex after a shipment of olives from Cordoba was unloaded.
The nursery owner, who asked not to be named, told The Argus: “My son, who was driving the forklift, saw it when he drove past.
“He just saw it out of the corner of his eye walking slowly across the yard.
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“It came in on a batch of olives we bought from a place near Cordoba.
“I had two truckloads of them and after we unloaded, it was walking across the yard slowly.”
Sharing a photo with arachnologists on Facebook, the man was told it was a Spanish funnel-web spider, or Macrothele calpeiana.
It “has for some time been considered to be Europe’s largest spider” according to a 1989 description of the species from the British Arachnological Society.
“It has also gained a reputation for being aggressive when disturbed and capable of administering a painful bite,” the description said.
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This follows the news last year that tarantulas were confirmed in the UK by BBC researcher Adele in the form of Britain’s only species, the purseweb spider.
The purseweb is a stay-at-home spider and spends most of its life inside that silken tube, which has been compared to an old purse and a dirty sock, hence its name.
This whole structure can be up to 25cm long but only a small part protrudes above the soil surface.
Despite this, residents in Oxfordshire have been advised not to worry about the higher volume of spiders entering homes as winter turns to spring.
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A spokesperson for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) said: “’Spiders live alongside us all year round and this is something to celebrate, not fear.
“These amazing animals are a vital part of our ecosystems, feeding on an astounding number of insects.
“Many of the insects they eat are considered pests of food crops, garden plants and even people, so having spiders around is a great natural alternative to pesticides.
“Some spiders have found their perfect home in our houses, hunting the other invertebrates that find their way inside, from house flies to wasps and mosquitoes.
“They tend to keep themselves to themselves, preferring dark corners where they can live in peace.”