SPIDERS are animals that provoke polarised responses – from arachnid lovers to those with phobias of the eight-legged creatures.

But did you know there is a species of spider described as a cannibal that predominantly lives underwater and has been regularly spotted throughout Britain over the years?

The diving bell or water spider - Argyroneta aquatica – is not lethal to humans although bites have been described as painful.

The species gets its name from the method it uses in order to breathe underwater.

National Geographic said: “First, it spins a dome-shaped web between underwater plants.

“Next, it rises to the surface and traps bubbles using the fine hairs on its legs and belly.

“It carries them down to its web and releases them, gradually filling the dome with air.”

The bubble is where the spider lives, a nursery for its eggs, and a base for its hunting.

They can be found in freshwater locations, such as lakes, ponds, canals, and slow-moving streams.

But thankfully it has not been recorded as being seen in West Yorkshire since 2011.

The closest one ever came to Bradford was in woods in Lupset, Wakefield during 2011, according to the British Arachnological Society’s Spider Recording Scheme.

One was also recorded as being spotted in the Streethouse area of Pontefract, back in 2006.

There have been a number of sightings across the rest of Yorkshire and the Humber over the years, including Loxley, in South Yorkshire (seen in 2004), York, in North Yorkshire (2000), and Huxter Well Marsh, in Doncaster (2005).

The latest sighting came in Hatfield, just off the M180, in 2022, according to the data.

One diving spider was reported as being seen in North Milford, in North Yorkshire way back in 1946.