Species has large fangs and pincers Gardener spots rare spider species in Wachtberg

Wachtberg · Gardener Benjamin Menke experienced a mixture of horror and fascination when he discovered a spider at his place of work. He caught it, photographed it, and then released it. Menke is a very lucky man, says biologist Hans-Joachim Krammer.

Species has large fangs and pincers: Gardener spots rare spider species in Wachtberg
Foto: DPA

Benjamin Menke (43) has spotted many an insect and reptile on the grounds of his business, Gartenbau Menke in Oberbachem. Newts, toads and camel-necked flies are some of the creatures that have crossed his path during his workday. Now a special kind of spider has surprised the gardener.

"I was walking through the grounds a few days ago and suddenly saw a small animal crawling towards me from the bushes," Menke recalls. "I was startled for a moment at the sight of the large fangs and pinchers - it did look exotic." The spider stopped as if waiting for something directly in front of Menke.

Menke quickly fetched a glass and, with the help of a branch, got the spider to crawl into it so he could get a closer look. "It was very well-behaved and tame and not at all frightened," Menke says. The animal was two centimetres in size and jet black in colour. "it filled me with a mixture of terror and fascination."

After the gardener had photographed the spider, he released it back into the wild. He then went on the internet and found that the eight-legged creature was apparently a rare purseweb spider Atypus affinis). "The pictures were almost identical."

Seeing a purseweb spider is very rare

In response to a GA enquiry, biologist Hans-Joachim Krammer confirmed Menke's guess. Krammer works at the Koenig Museum as a technical assistant in the Department of Arachnida, i.e. the section responsible for spiders. He thinks Menke is a really lucky guy: "In fact, an encounter like this between humans and purseweb spiders is most unusual as they lead a very reclusive life," the expert explains.

The species usually lives in burrows up to 30cm under the ground – making a chance encounter most unlikely. "It’s only at mating time – if you are lucky – that you might meet a male on the lookout for a mate, like the specimen the gardener found," Krammer explains.

The biologist was not aware that the spider occurs in Wachtberg. He himself has found them in Niederzissen and knows of finds from Neuwied, Altwindeck and in Hunnsrück. "It is definitely widespread here in the Rhine Valley region. Generally, you find it on sun-exposed slopes."

If you come across a specimen, it is best to leave it alone, advises Krammer. "The common purseweb spider is not dangerous to humans, children or pets, as long as the pets are not insects." However, as it has very large claws, its bite can be very painful, but the poisonous effect is generally not dangerous, he says. "Although all spiders kill their victims by means of a venomous bite, there are no species dangerous to humans in Germany or the rest of Central Europe."

Spider species is endangered in NRW

The common purseweb spider feeds mainly on isopods, i.e. crustaceans, and insects living on the ground. In Germany, the species is included in the Red List of endangered species with the status "near threatened". In NRW, however, it is listed as "critically endangered". Due to its hidden way of life, it is difficult for researchers to realistically assess its distribution and also its population situation. "I think it's great that I got to see such a rare species," says Menke, happy with his find.

Original text: Niklas Schröder

Translation: Jean Lennox

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