Native spider creeps into endangered category

The native katipo spider is climbing up the endangered species list, the Department of Conservation says.

New Zealand's only poisonous spider is having to share its habitat and food with the faster-breeding South African steatoda capensis spider.

The South African competitor breeds twice as fast as the katipo.

DoC plans to survey Manawatu sand dunes to determine to what extent the spiders are being affected.

"We need to understand where they're at and whether we need to do more for them," Palmerston North biodiversity team manager Vivienne Nicholls said.

Earlier efforts to count the katipo have failed because shifting dunes destroyed test areas.

DoC was unable to get an indication of the katipo population, so it remains unclear how close they are to extinction.

"They are considered to be declining because they're not as obviously abundant as they once were," Ms Nicholls said.

DoC staff will count the number of spiders in the dune area every few years and plan to keep track of egg sacs and webs in their habitat.

The introduction of different grasses and sand-dune areas and the conversion of their habitat to farmland are also blamed for the spider's declining numbers.

- NZPA