A rare spider known as the “master of disguise” has been spotted lurking in Cornwall, leaving experts stunned. The “nationally rare” lichen running spider was spotted at a temperate rainforest site, West Muchlarnick, near Looe.
Tylan Berry, county spider recorder for the British Arachnological Society, said the “amazing looking” creature with its “incredible colour and camouflage” is “incredibly difficult to spot”. The large spider species is known for its ability to camouflage themselves to wait for prey. To match the texture of tree trunks their legs have lateral hairs, giving them a feathery appearance.
The spider has been spotted just a “handful” of times, according to MR Berry, with other sightings at Lanhydrock, Cabilla and Redrice Cornwall Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.
He told the BBC: “The spiders love to sit on branches covered in lichen in wait for prey, perfectly camouflaged.
“It was very exciting when I was passed details of a possible sighting at Lanhydrock four or five years ago and it took me a further two years to find another.”
Only those with perfection will be able to spot the expertly camouflaged spider in some of the pictures.
The Philodromus Margaritatus, as the spider is scientifically known, thrives in areas with mature trees, particularly oaks, hawthorn, and pines, which are draped in lichen.
These are often in open areas such as heaths, parkland and woodland edges, he added.
The “near-threatened species” reside in “scattered pockets” between Cornwall and Surrey in the south of Britain, and in the Caledonian pine forests in Scotland.
He said: “There is no evidence of the spider living anywhere between these two hugely separated areas”
The expert stressed that the conservation of mature trees, the liche, was “important”.
Alison Smith, temperate rainforest project manager for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: “As a master of disguise, this near-threatened species is rarely seen, with only a few records in the county.
“Its presence highlights the importance of the habitat here.”
She said of the spider, which was spotted during a lichen survey: “It’s a near-threatened species, further demonstrating how important the habitat at West Muchlarnick is.”
