New species of spiders discovered in Australia: should we be worried about the trapdoor spiders?

An enormous species of trapdoor spiders located only in Queensland, Australia, has been uncovered by Australian researchers.

A particular species of golden trapdoor spider called Euplos dignitas was found in the semi-arid woodlands of the Brigalow Belt, a region in central Queensland. The name is derived from the Latin term “dignitas,” which means dignity or greatness. According to researchers from the Queensland Museum, who found the spider, the moniker was chosen because of its “impressive size and nature.”

The males of this endangered species have a honey-red outer layer and grey-brown abdomens, and they can grow up to 3cm long. The females of this rare species have a red-brown carapace, can survive for over 20 years in the wild, and can reach lengths of up to 5cm.

In order to catch insects, so-called trapdoor spiders construct “trap doors” out of leaves, hence the name. They usually range in size from 1.5 to 3 cm.

The females reside underground their entire lives. After five to seven years, males move on to another burrow in search of a partner.

The spider inhabits areas of open woodland and creates its burrows in the Brigalow Belt’s dark soils in Central Queensland, an area of Australia’s northeastern shore.

Experts revealed that due to the unfortunate loss of much of its habitat due to land clearing, experts believe it is likely to be an endangered species.

These species were reportedly first found in the early 20th century, but they went unnamed and received little public attention as a result.

After a 3-day search, trapdoor spiders were discovered in the Eidsvold Monto area for the first time since the 1990s in 2021. The search revealed only one population along several hundred meters of a roadside verge, with most of the available habitat cleared for agriculture and stock.

Michael Rix, the principal curator of arachnology with the Queensland Museum Network, said in a video released to announce the discovery of the giant creepy crawler in Australia that scientists were eager to “scientifically document this new species” because being a known species means “it can be protected.”

Although this newly discovered species is not known to be harmful to humans, their bites can still inflict discomfort and swelling.

Advertisement