List of endangered spiders

The Kauai cave wolf spider is found only in Kauai, Hawaii. As of 2006, this species can be found in a single cave on the island and only 16 to 28 individuals have been encountered. Compared to other spider species, the Kauai cave wolf spider has a low reproductive rate and due to habitat constraints, it has little access to food sources (Fish and Wildlife service, 2006). This spider is one of the largest documented cave-dwelling organisms measuring up to 8 centimeters. Because it spends its life in the darkness of a cave, this spider has no need for sight and is therefore completely eyeless (Krajick, 2001).

Katipō (

Latrodectus katipo

)

The katipō spider is related to the Australian redback and other widow spiders. This spider can be found in New Zealand in burrows or trees. The name means "night-stinger" in native Maori. This species is listed as endangered due to habitat loss, as well as non-native spider introduction. It is estimated that only a few thousand of these spiders remain in the wild.

Vulnerable species

A vulnerable species is one listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve.

Dolloff cave spider (

Meta dolloff

)

While not listed as endangered, this spider is considered to be vulnerable to

The Great raft spider is a declining species and is listed as vulnerable. It occurs throughout Europe but a lack of records make assessment of the species difficult. In the UK there are only three known populations, one stable, one threatened and one not assessed. This spider is a semi-aquatic species and its dependence on water may have led to the population's decline. The information on the Great raft spider is very recent and due to a lack of historical records, the level of decline cannot be accurately measured (Smith, 2000).

See also

• Endangered arthropods
• List of U.S. federally endangered arthropods
• List of extinct arachnids

References

• Krajick, K. 2001. "Cave Biologists Unearth Buried Treasure". Science magazine. Vol. 293. pp. 2378–2381.
• Levi, Herbert W. and Lorna R. Levi. 2002. Spiders and Their Kin. St. Martin's Press. New York, U.S.
• Smith, Helen. 2000. "The status and conservation of the fen raft spider (Dolomedes plantarius) at Redgrave and Lopham Fen National Nature Reserve, England". Biological Conservation. Vol. 95. Issue 2. pp. 153–164.
• Ubick, Darrell. 2001. Cavernicolous invertebrates of Cave Gulch, Santa Cruz County, California. Department of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2006. Recovery Plan for the Kauai Cave Arthropods: the Kauai Cave Wolf Spider (Adelocosa anops) and the Kauai Cave Amphipod (Spelaeorchestia koloana). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Portland, Oregon. 64 pp.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1995. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Spruce-Fir Moss Spider Determined To Be Endangered. Federal Register. Vol.60. No. 24. pp. 6968–6974