A spider species believed extinct in the UK has been rediscovered on the Isle of Wight, thrilling conservationists. The Aulonia albimana, now dubbed the white-knuckled wolf spider for the pale joints on its palps, was found at the National Trust’s Newtown National Nature Reserve, a site reachable only by boat.
Entomologists Mark Telfer and Graeme Lyons made the discovery just minutes before their departure, with Lyons calling it his most exciting find among the 559 British spider species he’s seen.
Last recorded in 1985, the tiny spider — only about 4mm long — lives in short, sunlit grasslands. Its habitat was restored by Hebridean sheep grazing, which maintains the open turf it needs.
Helen Smith of the British Arachnological Society hailed the find as one of Britain’s “lost species rediscoveries of the century.” Conservationists will now study how far the population extends to help ensure its survival.
