Wolf spider feared to be extinct, found on Isle of Wight

A critically endangered spider has been rediscovered on the Isle of Wight, 40 years after it was last seen in the UK.

The tiny creature that has orange legs was found at the National Trust's Newtown National Nature Reserve.

It has a scientific name Aulonia albimana, but has been informally named the white-knuckled wolf spider by the team that found it.

The name was given partly because of pale "knuckles" on parts that look like legs at the side of its mouth, but also because of the team's race against time to find the spider.

The scientists only had four hours to find it at the place where it was last seen, before they had to leave on a boat.

After searching for four hours, the team only spotted the spider 10 minutes before they had to leave the island

They eventually spotted two of the spiders in a remote overgrown area accessible only by boat, about 2km away from the spider's former colony.

Graeme Lyons who was part of the team said: "I suggested calling it the white-knuckled wolf spider because this was probably the longest long shot I've ever taken part in.

"I found the first one with just nine minutes to go, and the second one in the last minute."

His colleague Mark Teller has called it one of his "unforgettable discoveries", while Lyons added that despite already seeing 559 species of spider in the British Isles, "this one was by far the most exciting find".

The team searching for it was made up of Graeme Lyons and Mark Teller scientists who study insects their behaviors, and their impact on the environment

Dr Helen Smith conservation officer for the British Arachnological Society shared their excitement, particularly given others had tried and failed to find the spider there.

"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," she said.

There are thought to be about 38 species of wolf spider in the UK, who are given this name as they chase their prey along the ground and pounce on them.