This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Researchers at the University of Idaho have identified a new species of spider in the mountains of northern Idaho and given it a name that pays tribute to the university itself: Hexura vandal. The spider belongs to a small group of funnel-web spiders related to tarantulas.
Until now, only two species in this genus were known, both living hundreds of miles away in the coastal forests and mountains of Oregon and Washington. Finding a third species so far inland, in the Rocky Mountains near the town of Kooskia, came as a surprise to the research team, led by Arnau Calatayud-Mascarell, Ethan J. It extends the known range of the genus by 500 kilometers (310 miles) and is the first new taxonomic work done on this group of spiders in almost 50 years.
The paper is published in the journal ZooKeys. Hamilton stated, "It's always exciting when you realize the samples you've been looking at are an undescribed new species. This is one of the main reasons we do this job—to document Earth's incredible biodiversity and expand our foundational biological knowledge of our planet.
It just makes it even more exciting when that undescribed diversity can be found in your backyard (figuratively speaking)." The name is where the story becomes especially local. Rather than a Latin descriptor, the researchers chose "vandal," which is a direct nod to the university's mascot. The nickname dates back to 1917, when student journalist Harry Lloyd McCarty described the men's basketball team's fierce style of play as "vandalizing" their opponents.
The name stuck, and the University of Idaho remains the only Division I university in the United States with the Vandals as its mascot. When discussing how the name was picked, Hamilton said, "It didn't take very long for the lab to sit down and decide what to name the new species. Basically, this is really unique because it's only found in Idaho and it's not very far (relative) from campus.
It's black (sorry it's not black and gold like the school colors!). It's a predator that attacks. It's a Vandal." The discovery comes with a note of caution.
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