A deadly venomous spider has been found eating bats for the first time in the UK.
The egg-legged horror known as the noble false widow was pictured sucking the blood from a baby bat in Shropshire.
This discovery, which has been hailed as a world-first, was made by wildlife artist Ben Waddams.
Over the course of two skin-crawling days, bats living in his attic were found trapped in the spider's web just beneath the entrance of their roost.
The first bat was immobilised with its baby limbs pinned to its body.
It appeared shrivelled and discoloured from the deadly arachnid eating its remains.
A second bat, which appeared to be an adult was also captured and trapped in the web but it was still alive.
Fortunately, the adult bat was rescued and released.
Scientists say the eight-legged terror, which can grow up to 11millimetres and is the size of a small fingernail - has a taste for protected Pipistrelle bats.
A study of the horrifying event was published by scientists from the National University of Ireland Galway in the international journal Ecosphere and is titled Webslinger Versus Dark Knight.
Dr John Dunbar, Irish research council post-doctoral fellow at the venom systems lab, and lead author of the study said the spider would not eat the entire bat.
He added the arachnid would instead feed off it until it is full.
The noble false widow spiders contain a fast-acting neurotoxic venom with a similar composition to true black widows.
Dr Dunbar explained: "In this case, bats being vertebrate, the spider's venom possess a powerful neurotoxin and this enables this to take down vertebrate prey."
This venom can cause neuromuscular paralysis which is how they can occasionally feed on small reptiles and mammals.
According to scientists, spiders have also been known to feast on lizards in Ireland.
Noble false widows are one of three false widows that are likely to be found in or around UK homes.
They are the largest of these three species, with males typically growing to body lengths of up to 10mm and females up to 14mm.
Noble false widows are not native to the UK, are thought to have arrived in the late 1800s from the Canary Islands in banana boxes.
They can be seen throughout the year but are most often seen between July and November.
Noble spiders are not aggressive towards people, and generally don’t bite unless roughly handled or defending themselves.
The bite can feel similar to a wasp sting, and in rare cases, a person can feel very unwell.
