The chance discovery of a rare and ancient trapdoor spider in the Walpole Wilderness Area of southern Western Australia is likely to change the way the southern karri and tingle forests are managed.
The moggridgea tingle spider dates back more than 140 million years to the time when Australia formed part of the Gondwana super-continent.
The elusive species is only found in pockets of WA's southern forests, although close relatives exist in Africa and South America.
Karlene Bain from Department of Environment and Conservation says the spider will be an important consideration in planning for activities like prescribed burns.
"The discovery is important for us in terms of knowing where there are sites that are occupied by the species, so we can manage them more effectively, particularly in terms of the drying climatic conditions and the interaction with that and some of our fire management practices or other disturbance operations that might be occurring in the area," she said.