A tiny spider once thought extinct in the UK has been rediscovered on the Isle of Wight, delighting conservationists.
The Aulonia albimana, newly nicknamed the white-knuckled wolf spider for its pale palps, was found at the National Trust’s Newtown National Nature Reserve, a site only reachable by boat. The discovery came with minutes to spare during a four-hour survey by entomologists Mark Telfer and Graeme Lyons.
Last recorded in 1985, the spider’s return was made possible by habitat restoration efforts using Hebridean sheep to graze the overgrown limestone grassland, creating the open, sunlit patches the species prefers.
Helen Smith of the British Arachnological Society called it “one of Britain’s lost species rediscoveries of the century,” while the National Trust said the find proved the value of years of careful land management.
Researchers now aim to assess the spider’s population and ensure its continued recovery.
