Poisonous red katipo on endangered list

A study on the habitat and population of New Zealand's most poisonous spider, the red katipo, shows it is now endangered.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) was involved in the study, which was carried out by author and key project researcher Brian Patrick, who is also collections and research manager at Otago Museum.

He sampled 127 sites in 90 dune systems around the country over three years, finding 26 populations of red katipo. Of those populations, he said there were 19 key sites for the long-term conservation of the species.

He proposed the key sites be regularly monitored and actively managed where possible.

Using DOC criteria, Mr Patrick reclassified the red katipo as a "category B threatened species", which meant it was a second priority species.

Red katipo is one of two katipo spiders that are confined to the New Zealand coast. The black katipo is found in the northern half of the North Island only, whereas the red katipo is found down to about Dunedin.

"The study found that red katipo are threatened with extinction chiefly because their habitat is both declining in quality and extent," Mr Patrick said in a statement.

"Red katipo epitomises the plight of much of our sand dune flora and fauna in that it is now rare in dunes close to where humans live."

Forestry plantings, stock grazing, mining and increasing recreational activities continued to erode the red katipo's natural habitat, causing the species to become "locally extinct".

However, Mr Patrick said in some areas, communities had formed coastal care conservation groups to protect and revegetate their local sand dunes.

"Time will tell if these groups will be brave enough to reintroduce our most poisonous spider back into their dunes!" he said.

- NZPA