A tiny spider once thought extinct in the UK has been found again on the Isle of Wight after more than four decades.
The Aulonia albimana, now nicknamed the white-knuckled wolf spider for the pale joints on its limbs, was rediscovered by entomologists Mark Telfer and Graeme Lyons at the National Trust’s Newtown nature reserve — a site accessible only by boat.
The species, last recorded in 1985, was spotted just minutes before the researchers had to leave the island. Lyons called it his “most exciting find” among more than 500 spider species he’s seen.
The rediscovery came after years of habitat restoration using Hebridean sheep to graze and reopen overgrown limestone grassland, creating ideal conditions for the elusive spider.
Conservationists hailed the find as one of the “most remarkable lost species rediscoveries” in Britain. The next step is to determine how widespread the remaining population is and how best to protect it.
