Rare spiders discovered on site

Cave spiders are large, dark bronze arachnids that spin small open webs

Dozens of rare spiders have been discovered on a derelict site earmarked for housing.

About 100 cave spiders (Meta Menardi) have taken over a disused air raid shelter near Papworth Hospital.

South Cambridgeshire District Council Ecology Officer Rob Mungovan said the shelter mimics conditions of a cave.

The spiders, which will be moved before construction work starts, have only been found in a dozen places in the UK and never recorded in Cambridgeshire.

A juvenile spider may have found a suitable habitat here and found a mate and established a population Rob Mungovan, Ecology Officer

Mr Mungovan, who checks for rare species before he lets the developers start work, discovered the population of spiders.

He said: "Maybe these spiders have come from the ancient woodland we have here in Papworth.

"There may have been relic populations in large hollow trees or a juvenile spider may have found a suitable habitat here and found a mate and established a population."

A South Cambridgeshire District Council spokesman said the spiders are to be put in 100 separate boxes - to stop them eating each other - and moved to a new shelter on the other side of the hospital.