AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — There are more creepy-crawlies than previously known in Maine.
The Maine Forest Service’s newly released Checklist of Maine Spiders identifies 677 different species of spiders. That includes 91 additional species that were identified during the project.
The checklist is the result of a 14-year collaboration between researcher and Maine spider expert Dr. Daniel T. Jennings and the Forest Service, as well as retired Forest Entomologist Charlene Donahue and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
“Most people don’t count spiders among their favorite creatures,” said Allison Kanoti, state entomologist. “But spiders are an important part of our world, and we depend upon their existence.”
There are likely more species of spider in Maine that have yet to be documented, experts say.
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