A world of web dwellers still to be discovered in Spain

MORE spiders are likely to be lurking across Spain than the 1,300 recorded species, according to experts.
If funding was available to fund more extensive research, scientists from Barcelona believe the list of eight legged varieties could be far higher.
A study of this particular faunal group, carried out by the Faculty of Biology and the Institute for Biodiversity Research of the University of Barcelona, the Experimental Station of Arid Zones and the University of Helsinki, examined 20,539 spiders found in national parks across the country.
And they found specimens of seven species that have never previously been detected in this country, and a further 11 which may be totally new to science.
Study director Miquel Angel Arnedo said ‘there are still many species of spiders to discover,’ adding that results show the ‘lack of systematic sampling of the arachnological biodiversity of the country and are a good example of how little we still know about our own fauna’.