Nothophantes
# Nothophantes

Nothophantes, the horrid ground-weaver, is a critically endangered monotypic genus of European dwarf spiders containing the single species, Nothophantes horridus. It was first described by P. Merrett & R. A. Stevens in 1995, and has only been found in an area of Plymouth smaller than 1 square kilometre (0.39 sq mi). The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek νόθος (nothos), meaning "spurious", and hyphantes, meaning "weaver". The species name comes from the Latin horridus, meaning "bristly".

## Description

Nothophantes horridus has a total body length of 2.5 millimetres (0.098 in), and has only been found in three limestone quarries and one industrial site in the Cattedown area. Shapter's Field Quarry, the species' type locality, has since been developed by builders and is now the Plymouth Trade Park industrial estate. Its small size and habit of living deep inside cracks and crevices of rocks makes them difficult to find.

## History

It was first discovered in 1995, then not recorded until 1999. Until 2016 only nine specimens have ever been found, of which seven were female and two male. It was photographed for the first time at a fourth site in 2016. In September 2011, Nothophantes horridus was one of the subjects of BBC Radio 4’s Saving Species programme.

### Threats

In 2014, plans by Wainhomes (South West) Holdings Ltd. to build homes in Radford Quarry were rejected by Plymouth City Council, and it was appealed, triggering a formal planning inquiry.

In 2015, an online petition to save Nothophantes horridus from extinction was started by the conservation group Buglife, and was signed by almost 10,000 people. Money was raised through crowdsourcing to fund further research into the species, totaling nearly £10,500. In June, the IUCN rated the spider as critically endangered, adding it to the global Red List of Threatened Species. On June 9, the Planning Inspector rejected the building development because of concern for the rare wildlife, and notably Nothophantes horridus.

