Esteemed British news organs The Sun and The Daily Mail filled their ‘weird animal’ slot yesterday with pictures of a rare lichen crab spider that appears to have an angry human face on its back, The Sun just about winning the prize for best/worst headline.
The spider, Philodromus margaritatus, was discovered on the RSPB nature reserve at Arne, Dorset, and is rarely seen – according to the organisation it’s the first found in the area for 35 years. Unfortunately, it’s not quite the monster the tabloids’ giant close-ups make it seem – the lichen crab spider only gets about as big as a 20p piece. For a calmer report of the discovery (and news of the RSPB’s activities in in South-West England), here’s the RSPB’s Way Out West blog.
