Rare ‘lost’ spider receives major government funding boost

The diamond-backed spider, rediscovered at Clumber Park in 2017 after more than 50 years, is among the first species to benefit from a landmark £60 million investment through the Defra Species Recovery Programme, delivered by Natural England.

Clumber Park remains the only known site in Britain where the spider survives, making this funding critical to securing its future.

The National Trust has been awarded £50,458 to build on vital research already underway in partnership with the British Arachnological Society.

How will the funding be used? 

The next phase of the project will deepen understanding of the spider’s behaviour and habitat needs, including its breeding cycle, which remains largely unknown.

Amy Trewick, Assistant Land Use & Nature Delivery Partner for the National Trust, says: ‘We’re still uncovering the mysteries of this species, from how it arrived at Clumber to why it thrives here. We’ve yet to find a gravid female (female with eggs), so understanding its breeding patterns is a key focus.’

Future plans include:

• Genetic analysis to trace the spider’s origins
• Habitat management within Clumber Park
• Surveys of nearby heathlands across Sherwood Forest to find potential new sites for the spiders
• Research on ways to establish the spiders at new sites without damaging the Clumber Park population
• Surveys in Ashdown Forest, Sussex, where the spider was last recorded in 1969 to find a possible hidden or missed population

Gareth Jones, Lead Ranger at Clumber Park, adds: ‘This funding allows us to move from discovery to recovery. By understanding what this species needs, we can create the right conditions for it to grow and thrive. Not just here, but potentially beyond Clumber. Spiders play a vital ecological role as natural pest controllers, helping to maintain balanced ecosystems.’

Dr Helen Smith of the British Arachnological Society continues: ‘We have too many critically endangered species in Britain but the future of this smart little spider, apparently restricted to a tiny pocket of heathland in Clumber Park, could not be more precarious. This support gives us renewed hope of finding ways to secure its future, not just at Clumber but more widely on heathland in Nottinghamshire and further afield.’

The funding forms part of the government’s new ‘Wild Again: Restoring England’s Wildlife’ campaign, aimed at reversing species decline and rebuilding biodiversity.