Rare wolf spider rediscovered on Isle of Wight after 40 years

An endangered spider, unseen in the UK for 40 years, has been rediscovered in a remote nature reserve accessible only by boat.

Aulonia albimana, which was last seen in the UK in 1985, was discovered at the National Trust’s Newtown nature reserve on the Isle of Wight, around 2km from the spider’s former colony.

The small orange-legged arachnid was unofficially named the white-knuckle wolf spider by those who found it.

Entomologist Mark Telfer, who led the investigation, called it “one of those unforgettable discoveries.”

“Finding a species thought lost for 40 years is exciting – and a testament to how good habitat management, combined with curiosity and collaboration, can yield remarkable results,” he said.

Wolf spiders – of which around 38 species live in the UK – get their name from their agile hunting skills, which involve chasing their prey along the ground before pouncing like a wolf.

But the National Trust said the hunting techniques of Aulonia albimana remained a mystery, as the species was also known to spin a fragile web.

Graeme Lyons, who was also part of the research team, said: “I suggested calling it the white-knuckle wolf spider because it was probably the longest shot I’ve ever been involved with.

“We only spent four hours at the site where this spider was last seen 40 years ago, before our boat came to pick us up.

“I found the first with nine minutes to go, and the second at the last minute.

“I have seen 559 species of spiders in the British Isles and this was by far the most exciting discovery.”

Mr Telfer said the name was also inspired by the distinctive pale “knuckles” on the small leg-like appendages on the side of the spider’s mouth.

Dr Helen Smith, head of conservation at the British Arachnological Society, said: “The remarkable discovery of this dapper little spider on the Isle of Wight is one of Britain’s epic rediscoveries of lost species of the century.

“With the repeated failure to find it at its former sites, where its open habitat was lost, it seemed increasingly likely that it had joined the country’s sad list of extinct species.”

The area where the spider was found was once overgrown, but has been restored by the National Trust with the help of a flock of Hebridean sheep.

The trust said they chewed up the vegetation to maintain a short, open turf, creating exactly the kind of uneven, sunlit ground that the white-knuckle wolf spider prefers.

Dr Smith praised the “vital habitat restoration work” and said it showed the white-knuckle wolf spider “not only has somewhere to hang on, but hopefully somewhere it can now thrive”.

“We look forward to working with the National Trust to determine the full extent of the population and determine the conditions they need to expand their distribution and secure their future,” she said.