The discovery of this new species of widow spider in South Africa’s most critically endangered ecosystem, the sand forest, underlines the importance of habitat protection!
Pretoria, South Africa – Another new species has been discovered at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. Not a discovery for the fainthearted, the Phinda Button Spider was identified in the critically endangered Sand Forest in the north of the province and is tipped to be the largest widow spider in the world.
The arachnid is the first new widow spider species to be discovered in almost 30 years, following painstaking research by entomologist Barbara Wright of Wild Tomorrow Fund and arachnid expert Dr Ian Engelbrecht from the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
The distinctive red-backed Phinda Button Spider was first spotted in Tembe Elephant Park in Maputaland in 2014, before being confirmed as a new species earlier this year. It will be the latest addition to a family of 31 globally recognised widow spiders, eight of which are indigenous to the African continent.
This is by no means the first new species discovered at the &Beyond Phinda Game Reserve. As recently as 2017, Breviceps carruthersi, commonly known as the Phinda Rain Frog, was discovered within the game reserve’s 28,000 hectares of protected wilderness. Also, back in 2006 the Pachydactylus etultra, or Sossus Gecko was discovered at &Beyond’s Sossusvlei Lodge in Namibia.
“The discovery of this new species of widow spider in South Africa’s most critically endangered ecosystem, the sand forest, underlines the importance of habitat protection,” says John Steward, Executive Director at Wild Tomorrow Fund.
“By saving habitat, we are saving species potentially not yet discovered.”
Such discoveries have been made possible through &Beyond’s conservation partnerships with Wild Tomorrow Fund and aligned not-for-profit organisations, which includes Relate Bracelets’ United Against Malaria and Endangered Wildlife Trust awareness and fundraising initiatives.
&Beyond operates 29 exclusive safari lodges and camps across 15 African countries and provides opportunities for tourists from all over the world to visit and experience protected habitats and their species.
Says Simon Naylor from &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, “&Beyond is thrilled to have a growing number of new species discoveries that are unique to the habitats of our game lodges and speaks to our core ethos in maintaining a healthy balance of caring for the land, wildlife and people.”
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For more information on the Phinda Button Spider discovery and other important conservation initiatives, visit www.andbeyond.com and www.relate.org.za.
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