Human face on a spider's abdomen

A rare spider with a human face – known as a lichen crab spider – has been spotted at a nature reserve in Wareham, Dorset.

Since 1890 only 41 one of them have ever been seen in Britain – and it’s not surprising, because they’re only the size of a 20p piece and blend into lichen on tree trunks, hence their name.

Wareham RSPB nature reserve worker Mark Singleton said: ‘This is the first one that has been found in Dorset in 35 years.

'It is something of a rarity. If this were a bird, the queues would be stretching round the car park. But it's not,  it's a spider with a slightly amusing abdomen.

‘We found it in the electricity box a few feet from our work centre and got quite excited when we realised what it was.'

With its scary-looking face the spider – Latin name Philodromus margaritatus - does look like something from a B-movie, it is in fact harmless to humans.

The spider can move at quite high speeds and uses its running power to chase its main food source - ants.

Needless to say, the little critter has caused a huge stir on the web.





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