Zoo Miami staff help discover new spider species in Miami

The Pine Rockland Trapdoor Spider was found in the critically endangered Pine Rockland forest surrounding Zoo Miami. (Zoo Miami, Courtesy of Zoo Miami)

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – This new discovery might make your skin crawl.

There’s a new species of spider in the world, and it was discovered first by none other than a Zoo Miami zookeeper, WPLG reports.

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According to Zoo Miami, The Pine Rockland Trapdoor Spider (Ummidia richmond) was first found in the critically endangered Pine Rockland forest surrounding Zoo Miami by a zookeeper who was checking reptile research traps back in 2012. When the zookeeper shared the photo of the spider with the Zoo’s Conservation and Research Department for identification, it didn’t match any existing records for known species in the region.

Over two years later, another spider was found and sent out to experts for an evaluation. Eventually, it made its way to Dr. Rebecca Godwin of Piedmont College in Georgia who was in the process of looking at this group of spiders, which are related to tarantulas.

Godwin confirmed that it was a previously non-described spider species.

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Zoo Miami staff helped discover a brand new species of large spider in the critically endangered Pine Rockland forest surrounding Zoo Miami. (Courtesy of Zoo Miami)