On the 24th October fires from an arson attack on Kings Park bushland caused havoc for the trapdoor spiders of the reserve. Below is the article I wrote for EcoNotes, a part of the Urban Nature Bushland News issues.

After the initial extensive targeted survey through to the first weeks of November, monthly surveys have been conducted to monitor the recovery of trapdoor spider populations. There was an Idiosoma sigillatum that relined within the weeks following the fire with the photo featured in the article above, but subsequently may have been predated upon by something that managed to penetrate the lining of her burrow from the side about 3 cm in depth from the soil surface. Another Idiosoma sigillatum (almost certainly not the same individual due to distance between the burrows and timing of the predation) built a burrow that was recorded in early February:

Perhaps the most encouraging sign of trapdoor spider survival is the observations of Idiosoma sigllatum spiderlings as it indicates recruitment generally, not just in the zone impacted by fire. In this instance it is clear that the spiderling established a burrow in post-fire conditions. Unfortunately, the earlier-than-usual dispersal event could have been triggered by the fire revealing spiderlings to the world by burning off the mothers burrow lid.

Although fairly bleak so far, I am still hopeful that evidence of more trapdoor spiders relining their burrows or other observations will emerge as we leave the hot, dry conditions of Bunuru and move into Djeran. In even hot, intense fires I have followed in other studies survivability has been higher than shown here, and relining up to six months later. My intention is to follow the recovery in Kings Park with monthly check-ins until the end of the year.

Considering how little information is available on trapdoor spiders, surveys such as this are invaluable to inform conservation approaches and ensure continuation of these species on the brink of extinction.