A new spider species has been discovered in Idaho. The small, nickel-sized brown arachnid was found in the remote mountains of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.
“This species appears – from everything we can tell so far – that it’s only found in Idaho,” said Chris Hamilton, an associate professor at the University of Idaho. He’s one of the scientists who worked on the paper detailing the new findings published Monday in the journal ZooKeys.
Graduate student Arnau Calatayud-Mascarell was looking for a completely different species when he came across this spider at a campground along the Lochsa River near Kooskia.
“It was super exciting to find something that we knew was unique, and probably new to science,” said Calatayud-Mascarell, who is a doctoral candidate in entomology at U of I.
The research team has named the spider Hexura vandal, honoring the school’s mascot.
Hamilton knows not everyone will be as excited as his group about a new eight-legged arthropod crawling around where they camp and recreate. Fear of spiders is actually embedded in our DNA, and spiders, scorpions and other arachnids scored the highest in fear and disgust, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. But he said, fear not the Hexura vandal.
“It doesn’t have strong venom; it’s not going to do anything to you. It’s just this unique species, this unique lineage. It’s been hanging around on this planet and in what is now Idaho for millions of years,” Hamilton said.
He explained how this recent discovery builds on the understanding of how Idaho’s environment and habitats have evolved over time – and this spider adds to the story.
“As geology changes the environments, and the Columbia Basin evolved, these things got separated,” Hamilton said, adding a lot of species found in Idaho forests have sister species in the Cascades – the mountain range that stretches from Northern California through Oregon, Washington and up into British Columbia.
The forests of Idaho were once woven into one big forest all the way to the coast, but broke apart over time, leading species to evolve in different ways, he said. Learning more about how species diverge over time gives scientists a better understanding of how nature has changed over millions of years.
The paper detailing the new findings outlines how conservation action is needed to secure the survival of these spiders only found in damp, conifer forests in the Rocky Mountains of northern Idaho, mostly near moss-covered ground and drying logs.
“They’re the largest group of predators on the planet, and they play a significant, important role in any community they live in,” said Hamilton. Spiders keep nature in balance by keeping bug populations in check, and he said tipping that balance could have consequences.
“There is still so much to learn about the natural world, and our students, staff and faculty are helping to lead that effort,” said Leslie D. Edgar, J.R. Simplot Endowed Dean in the U of I College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. “We're proud that this unique Idaho species will forever carry the Vandal name.
Now that the Hexura vandal - and its name - are linked to the university, Hamilton wants to make sure it gets recognition across the state.
“Idaho doesn’t have a state spider,” Hamilton said. “People should have fun with it and be proud of things that are unique to Idaho. So we're starting to work on that now.”
But getting an animal nominated requires official legislation.
Past attempts to get Idaho’s lawmakers to recognize a state creature have not always been successful. State lawmakers voted against an attempt to have the Idaho giant salamander recognized as the state’s amphibian in 2015. But Hamilton still wants to push ahead.
If he can secure more funding, he wants to continue fieldwork to map where these spiders live, to better understand the role they play in their northwestern environment.
“If we didn't have spiders, people would have a lot more problems with bugs in their homes and bugs everywhere, whether it's as pests in agriculture or pests in the home,” Hamilton said. “Spiders are your friends.”