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One of Britain’s largest spiders was discovered at a Ministry of Defense training ground in Surrey and had not been seen in the country for 27 years.
The great fox spider is a nocturnal hunter, known for its speed and agility, as well as its eight black eyes that give it enveloping vision. The critically endangered spider was presumed extinct in Britain after it was last seen in 1993 on Hankley Common in Surrey. The two-inch-wide (5 cm) arachnid had also previously been seen at two sites on Morden Heath in Dorset. These are the only three areas in Britain, all in the comparatively warmer south, where it has been recorded.
Mike Waite of the Surrey Wildlife Trust discovered the elusive spider after two years of tracking after dark looking for it at the Surrey military site, which the Ministry of Defense does not name for security reasons.
“As soon as my torch fell on it I knew what it was. I was elated. With the coronavirus there have been a lot of ups and downs this year, and I also turned 60, so it was a good celebration for that. It’s a beautiful spider, if you like that kind of thing, ”Waite said.
The great fox spider is one of the largest members of the wolf spider family, hunting spiders that do not use webs to catch their prey. Chase down the smallest beetles, ants and spiders before pouncing on them and injecting them with deadly poison. The prey is immobilized and its internal organs liquefy. The spider, which poses no risk to humans, feeds using fanged jaws.
M0D sites are often kept open because military exercises cause little disturbance to vegetation, stopping the succession of shrubs and trees. Waite used aerial photos to find bare patches of sand, which are suited to spider ambush-style hunting techniques, and saw the first alongside Jeep tracks. In all, he found several males, a female, and some unidentifiable immature spiderlings.
Nick Baker, television presenter and president of the British Society of Arachnology, described the discovery as “the most exciting thing that has happened in wildlife circles for quite some time.” He said: “She is as beautiful as a spider, she is big and now she is officially a member of the British fauna again.”
The great fox spider, a native species, was first found 120 years ago and has been seen only a handful of times since then. Despite their size, spiders are difficult to detect because they are primarily nocturnal and have effective mottled brown camouflage. During the winter, they dig burrows under rocks and line them with silk, entering a kind of hibernation state.
The MoD wasteland where the spider was found is managed by the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust. It is recognized as a site of national importance for populations of rare birds, reptiles, and invertebrates, especially lizards, smooth snakes, Dartford’s warbler, and nightjar. Ministry of Defense sites are often good for wildlife because they are protected from human activity and are large enough that wildlife has room to roam.
The great fox spider likes warmer climates and is more common on the European continent, particularly in the coastal dunes of Holland and Denmark.
“It makes me think how much we have searched our shores for it. Have we been searching long enough? “said Waite, who thinks the spider might be more widespread than people think.
Waite is now on large nocturnal fox and spider hunting expeditions to neighboring sites and hopes to one day write a scientific paper on them. “It seems to be the most important thing I have done in a long career. It has inspired me to do something and find out everything I can about this species in the UK, ”he said.
Find more coverage on the era of extinction here and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston Y Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for the latest news and features
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