A paper called ‘The longest-lived spider: Mygalomorphs dig deep, and persevere‘ was published as open-access in Pacific Conservation Biology. The long term study was initiated by Dr Leanda’s beloved mentor Prof Barbara York Main in 1974. The paper gained global interest, and shed light on the burrowing trapdoor spider called #16, who lived until she was 43 years old.
Prof Barbara monitored the burrows of the trapdoor spider species Gaius villosus for forty years, using number metal pegs to keep track – with #16 being the sixteenth spider she pegged in her initial survey. She gathered invaluable data on the life history, biology and ecology of this trapdoor spider species during her ground-breaking study. It was not until the last ten years of the study that Dr Leanda happened upon the scene, meeting Prof Barbara during their undergraduate days at University of Western Australia. Prof Barbara immediately fostered Dr Leanda’s enthusiasm in trapdoor spiders by taking them on fieldtrips and loaning out her huge collection of papers and books for Dr Leanda to read. Happily burying themselves in the literature and fully digging the fieldwork, Dr Leanda worked closely with the Lady of the Spiders until her official retirement in 2017.
Prof Barbara last visited her long term study site in 2015 and bequeathed the monitoring on to Dr Leanda.
With an exceptional career that far outreaches the oldest spider story, Prof Barbara has been honoured with Medal of the Order of Australia in January 2011 for “service to science and conservation as a researcher and educator in the field of arachnology, and to the community of Western Australia” and the Medal of the Royal Society of Western Australia – the first woman to win it since the award began in 1924.
One of the most touching stories about the world’s oldest spider was written by Avi Selk from The Washington Post called ‘The extraordinary life and death of the world’s oldest known spider‘. His story has been credited as one of the best by the Nieman Foundation at Harvard, and was interviewed as a result. Dr Leanda enjoyed speaking with him on the phone, and was extremely impressed by his work.
On 14th of May, 2019, Barbara passed away peacefully and surrounded by her family. A beautifully written article and podcast by ABC Science’s Dr Ann Jones celebrates her life.
Please feel free to contact Dr Leanda in regards to the world’s oldest recorded spider if you have any questions.
Below is a poem Dr Leanda wrote for their mentor in 2018.
Owed to Barbara
Over time and career we learn and we teach Share knowledge and wisdom with those we can reach From formal instruction in methods and fact To personal doctrines that shape how we act Sometimes we’re lucky and we will be blessed With a capable mentor who inspires our best Respected and learned in their field or skill We follow direction, a vessel to fill Barbara York Main was a lady I followed Down paths she has cleared, into niches she’s hollowed In hindsight it’s taken me years just to process The foresight that Barbara invoked toward progress A woman of science, a pioneer true Earned on her own merit and helped herself through Hostile environments inside and out, Endured for pure research, not standing or clout Though humble, reclusive and hidden from sight Her books and her papers would shed quite a light On my personal interest to study her spider I soon had a goal, and sat down beside her Her patience, wisdom, and determined resilience Ethics and values of unquestioned brilliance Seeds that she felt were the right ones to sow Indeed sprouted roots and continued to grow The great minds among us see forward and back Through time and tradition to pick up the slack Understanding the past for exploring the new Reliable structures that extrapolate through Contributions of insight, experiments that start Without any kudos or gain from this part Longitudinal work in its slow onward grindings Bestow on the next generation deep findings And then there’s the story of #16 The oldest of spiders the world had yet seen A trapdoor whom Barbara discovered and tagged Went virally famous when dead it was flagged Though honoured to speak on behalf of the study It pains me that Barbara’s thoughts then got muddy Too late moments of praise, recognition of worth, Efforts and great contributions to Earth So much achieved, so much more to contribute A lifetime of lessons passed on to distribute Through publishing, teaching or close demonstration Humanity learns only from collaboration