Scientists confirm rediscovery of ‘tap-dancing’ trapdoor spider not seen for nearly a century

An elusive 'tap-dancing' spider species that has been lost to science for almost 100 years has been rediscovered amongst leaf litter on its home turf. The Fagilde trapdoor spider was found recently in an area near the same small northern Portuguese town that it is named after. Since it was last spotted in 1931, scientists have been unsure of its whereabouts—until now. The Fagilde trapdoor spider has been doing a good job of staying out of the public eye. It's not been scientifically documented since it was first described by an entomologist—an expert in insects—in Portugal in 1931. Now an expedition team, led by the Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo in the United States, says it has confirmed with DNA analysis the species' survival. Expedition leader Sergio Henriques says the rediscovery is an important first step towards conservation: "Well, this is an important rediscovery of a species because it hadn't been seen in so long. And if a species isn't found, if we don't know if it even exists, there's nothing we can do about protecting it. So it is a first step. It is the main step, really, to do any conservation action is to know that the species is still in existence. If it was gone, there was nothing we could do. So it brings us hope towards what can we do next to ensure it keeps alive and it keeps thriving 100 years from now." Trapdoors are a family of spiders found on several continents and are known to dig a burrow and cover the entrance with a hinged lid like a trapdoor. According to the team, trapdoor spiders are shy and generally stay in their burrows, using spider senses and silk to determine whether the vibrations of animals outside are potential predators or prey. This article was provided by The Associated Press.