A rare spider species thought extinct in the UK has been rediscovered on the Isle of Wight, thrilling conservationists.
The Aulonia albimana, nicknamed the white-knuckled wolf spider for its pale leg joints, was found by entomologists Mark Telfer and Graeme Lyons at the National Trust’s Newtown nature reserve—a site reachable only by boat. The species had not been recorded in Britain since 1985.
Lyons made the discovery with just minutes left before their boat pickup. “I’ve seen 559 spider species in the British Isles, and this one was by far the most exciting,” he said.
The tiny spider, only about 4mm long, belongs to the wolf spider family, known for hunting on foot rather than spinning webs. Its new habitat—limestone grassland grazed by Hebridean sheep—was restored by the National Trust, creating the open, sunlit ground the species needs to thrive.
Helen Smith of the British Arachnological Society called the rediscovery “one of Britain’s lost species rediscoveries of the century.” Conservationists now plan to assess the population and protect its fragile habitat to secure its future.
