The eyes have it. In the event you’re a sucker for a charismatic gaze, a formidable title and nice rarity, then the distinguished leaping spider ought to get your vote.
However this acrobatic, spectacular-looking tiny spider with two giant black forward-facing eyes is just not merely a reasonably face. It’s a highly effective environmentalist and mighty consultant of the worth of often-derided, seemingly desolate post-industrial landscapes.
The spider was solely found in Britain in 2003 and is as we speak solely present in two places: West Thurrock marshes and Swanscombe peninsula. Each are “brownfield” websites within the Thames Gateway, the biggest space designated for brand new growth in Europe.
Politicians from each proper and left are queueing as much as construct on brownfield as a result of it appears – and sounds – so significantly better to position new buildings on the footprint of previous reasonably than concrete over the luscious greenbelt.
However life isn’t that straightforward, and most brownfield websites, significantly these within the heat, dry south-east, are much more biodiverse than farmers’ fields. Some are probably the most biodiverse sanctuaries within the land. The deserted oil refinery at Canvey Wick, as an illustration, is dwelling to almost 2,000 invertebrate species. Many thrive as a result of the previous concrete and rubble create dry, sheltered and heat microclimates the place species on the northern fringe of their pure vary can thrive.
The distinguished leaping spider is one such denizen of the rubble, liking previous coal heaps and dry and salty terrain the place comparatively few crops survive.
Its title was given throughout a Victorian dispute over related species. Like the opposite 37 leaping spider species present in Britain, it doesn’t spin webs however makes use of its wonderful eyesight (the perfect of any invertebrate apart from cephalopods) and skill to leap 10 occasions its physique size to catch prey. The male of the species additionally makes use of its eager eyes to evaluate the receptiveness of females throughout their mating dance, and making a fast exit to keep away from getting eaten if his dance doesn’t go down effectively.
The spider has been on the forefront of opposition to formidable plans to construct Britain’s “Disneyland” on Swanscombe peninsula and though plans have been withdrawn, the spider’s dwelling and web site of particular scientific curiosity (SSSI) remains to be earmarked for growth.
So vote distinguished, vote for treasuring our smallest creatures, and vote for leaving some brownfield websites alone. The spider’s success exhibits that our stressed abandonment of yesterday’s industries opens up niches that wild nature is all the time able to quickly exploit. Which is effectively price celebrating.
Welcome to the Guardian’s UK invertebrate of the yr competitors. Day-after-day between 2 April and 12 April we’ll be profiling one of many unimaginable invertebrates that dwell in and across the UK. Tell us which invertebrates you suppose we must be together with right here. And at midnight on Friday 12 April, voting will open to determine which is our favorite invertebrate – for now – with the winner to be introduced on Monday 15 April.
