A Taranaki biologist is overjoyed after discovering what is thought to be a new species of spider.
Regional council biodiversity officer Sandra Sánchez found the specimen on a routine visit at a north Taranaki Key Native Ecosystem after she noticed someunusual spider tunnels.
A close inspection revealed a spider she had never seen before. She took photos and, with the permission of the landowners, uploaded them to nature identification app iNaturalistNZ.
“I just thought it was a cool spider. I had never seen it before. It looked bigger, and it was quite hairy, and not something you see every day.
“It just caught my eye the fact that it was different, the size was the first thing I noticed. It’s a fairly large spider.”
Te Papa PhD student Shaun Thompson contacted her, identifying the spider as a potential new species.
“He sent me a message through the app, saying he thought it might a new species and it would be great if I could find another specimen and take a photo of the abdomen, so he could look at the pattern there. And so that’s what we did.”
The spider was very similar to a spider found in Whanganui called the Cantuaria wanganuiensis, but there were some key differences in the patterning on the abdomen, Sánchez said.
Taranaki Regional Council biodiversity officer Sandra Sánchez and landowner Rob Hooper. Photo / Supplied
“They are at the moment trying to review the genus.”
The discovery meant the arachnid was the northernmost distribution of Cantuaria so far discovered in New Zealand, Taranaki Regional Council said.
Although it might be a long time before the spider would receive its own name, Thompson had suggested it be called the Taranaki trapdoor spider.
Sánchez said discovering a new species had been a dream since she was little.
“I cannot describe how happy it makes me, even though I will not be the one describing it. Spiders are not my expertise – and this is just absolutely fantastic for Shaun as well – but I am really, really happy that I could help.”
The discovery was a testament to the landowners’ commitment to preserving natural ecosystems, Sánchez said.
“I was also delighted for the landowners, Rob Hooper and son Mark, as they work extremely hard to protect these forest remnants, so this is a fitting way to reward them for their mahi.”
She added that there were likely many more undiscovered species.
“Especially when it comes to insects or invertebrates in general. We know very little so the more we look, the more new species are going to come to light.”
Everyone could have a role to play in helping in the discovery of new species through documenting anything they don’t recognise on iNaturalistNZ, Sánchez said.
