New Idaho Spider Species Found Far Beyond Its Known Relatives

A new spider species discovered in the mountains of northern Idaho has expanded the known range of its genus by roughly 500 kilometers (310 miles). Researchers from the University of Idaho identified the spider near Kooskia and named it Hexura vandal, a reference to the university’s Vandal mascot. The species belongs to Hexura, a small genus of funnel-web spiders related to tarantulas. Before this discovery, only two Hexura species were known, both found in the coastal forests and mountains of Oregon and Washington. The Idaho spider’s location, far inland in the Rocky Mountains, surprised the research team led by Arnau Calatayud-Mascarell, Ethan J. Briggs and Chris A. Hamilton. Their study, published in ZooKeys, represents the first new taxonomic work on the group in nearly 50 years. The species name was chosen because the spider has so far been found only in Idaho and relatively close to the University of Idaho campus. The researchers also noted its dark coloration and predatory behavior when explaining the connection to the Vandals mascot, whose name dates to a 1917 description of the university’s basketball team. Hexura vandal appears to have a particularly restricted distribution. According to the researchers, it has been found at only a handful of sites within a small area of Idaho forest, despite repeated searches in nearby locations. On that basis, they consider the species likely endangered. The habitat faces pressure from logging and wildfires. The researchers noted that fires in the region are becoming more frequent and often occur during the spiders’ breeding season. They hope documenting the species will help support efforts to protect the forest where it lives. The discovery was reported in a paper titled “Hidden in the woods: A new species of Hexura (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Antrodiaetidae) from a highly restricted range in Idaho.”