A critically endangered spider has been rediscovered on the Isle of Wight, the first sighting in Britain since 1985. The specimen was found at the National Trust’s Newtown National Nature Reserve and is linked to the species Aulonia albimana. The National Trust described the find as a major conservation success.

Entomologist Mark Teller, who made the discovery with colleague Graeme Lyons, said: “This is one of those unforgettable discoveries. To find a species thought lost for 40 years is thrilling – and testament to how the right habitat management, combined with curiosity and collaboration, can deliver remarkable results.” Lyons added: “I suggested calling it the white-knuckled wolf spider because this was probably the longest long shot I’ve ever taken part in. We had just four hours at the site where this spider was last seen 40 years ago, before our boat came to pick us up. I found the first one with just nine minutes to go, and the second one in the last minute. I’ve seen 559 species of spider in the British Isles and this one was by far the most exciting find.” Dr Helen Smith, conservation officer for the British Arachnological Society, described the discovery as: “The remarkable discovery of this dapper little spider on the Isle of Wight is one of Britain’s epic ‘lost species’ rediscoveries of the century. With repeated failure to find it at its former sites, where its open habitat has been lost, it seemed increasingly likely that it had joined the country’s sad list of extinct species.”

The team located the spider in a remote overgrown area of the reserve accessible only by boat, about 2km away from the spider’s former colony. Wolf spiders – of which there are about 38 species in the UK – are named for their agile hunting skills as they chase prey across the ground and pounce, though they can also spin a light web.