Rare cryptachaea blattea spider discovered in Glasgow Necropolis

Amateur arachnophile Craig McEwan was trying to find another species when the teensy-weensy spider fell into his sample tray.

At 2mm in length, the cryptachaea blattea spider has been found in a few isolated places in the south of England but only been found in Scotland once before.

Mr McEwan said: “Initially I didn’t think it was anything important, but then I shared some photographs with some friends I knew on social media who were more spider savvy and better at identifying these things than I was.”

At the suggestion it could be a the extremely rare spider, Mr McEwan knew he needed to collect more evidence.

He said: “I spent the next 11 days up at the same site just trying to find another one so I could get some really clear photographs, especially of the identifying features of the spider.”

The find was confirmed by Dr Geoff Oxford, honorary secretary of the British Arachnological Society.

Mr McEwan, who works in customer service, hopes his find will inspire more people to conquer their fear of spiders.

He said: “Up until maybe, four years ago, I would run a mile from a spider.”

Finding himself with a little more free time, especially during lockdown, Mr McEwan began to pay closer attention to the spiders he saw at home, eventually discovering a British spider identification group on Facebook.

Mr McEwan said: “I was just amazed by the number of different species, the number of different shapes and colours. It just opened up my eyes to a whole new world that most of us, if we were out in the park or in the garden, don’t realise is there.

“That’s what spurred me on to learn more about spiders and the role that they play in a healthy ecosystem, and also their behaviour and the different types of webs that they spin and so forth. It was just fascinating.

“From all that learning and education, my fear has gone totally and you can’t keep me away from spiders now."

The rare cryptachaea blattea, originally from Australia, may be spreading further north in the UK due to the changing climate.

Mr McEwan said: “It’s like all things, as temperatures rise slightly, species move further north to where they have suitable habitats and climate as well.”

McEwan "grubbing" for spiders with a barrel pooter

Finding the spider has rekindled Mr McEwan’s passion for the natural world and inspired him to take his hobby further.

He said: “I was always used to just finding spiders which were very common and widespread, so to be able to find something like this, I’m really, really ecstatic about it.

“It’s great to have this response, especially from people like Dr Oxford and the biological records team from Glasgow Life, just citing how important it is for the understanding of spiders and how they migrate and where they can be found in Britain.”

Robyn Haggard, zoology curator for Glasgow Life, said: “Craig’s cryptachaea blattea find is a fantastic find and we really admire his dedication and passion for photographing and identifying spiders.

“Cryptachaea blattea is a rare spider, and every new record helps us understand it’s distribution.

“Knowing what species are in Glasgow and the west of Scotland is vital for nature conservation.

“This includes rare finds like Craig’s and more common species like squirrels and magpies.

“We would encourage everyone to get outside and start recording the wildlife around them.

“People can send wildlife records to us at Glasgow Museums Biological Records Centre or take part in nationwide events like Butterfly Conservation’s annual Big Butterfly Count.”