A woman was stung by a scorpion which climbed up her trouser leg during a United Airlines flight.

The passenger was attacked by the eight-legged arachnid while travelling from San Francisco to Atlanta.

She told the TMZ website she started to feel a stinging sensation on her leg after the plane took off on Thursday morning.

When she went to the toilet to investigate the pain, a scorpion fell out of her trousers and scurried away.

The passenger was taken to hospital after landing but is expected to make a full recovery.

The arachnid, meanwhile, was captured by flight attendants and put in a box. No further details were given about its condition.

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United Airlines said in a statement: “After learning that one of our customers on flight 1554 from San Francisco to Atlanta was stung during flight, our crew responded immediately and consulted with a MedLink physician on the ground who provided medical guidance.

“Upon landing in Atlanta, the flight was met by medical personnel and the customer was transported to a local hospital.

“We have been in contact with our customer to ensure her wellbeing.”

Earlier this year a large scorpion was seen crawling out of the overhead lockers on a Lion Air flight in Indonesia.