Leaping Back into the UK Fauna

The Great fox spider (the picture is actually a relative, rather than the real thing) is a large (5cm) member of the wolf spider group that had been assumed to be extinct in the UK for 27 years ( https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/31/huge-spider-assumed-extinct-in-britain-discovered-on-mod-site-aoe). Wolf spiders dont make webs but act as ambush predators, leaping on their prey (e.g. beetles and other spiders). They then inject venom and liquidise the prey's contents before sucking it dry. The Great fox spider hunts at night in rough, sandy areas, which is a possible reason why it has been so elusive. The species was recorded, in 2020, on Ministry of Defence land used for training purposes. Such locations, where access by humans is limited and agriculture banned, can provide surprisingly good protections for rare species.