A new species of spider has been discovered tunnelling underground in Taranaki

A regional council biodiversity officer Sandra Sánchez found the specimen on a routine visit at a north Taranaki Key Native Ecosystem after she noticed some unusual spider tunnels.

A close inspection revealed a large, hairy spider she had never seen before.

Sanchez says it'll take years to properly identity the spider, but says it's the discovery is every biologists dream.

She says it's very related to the ones that live in Whanganui, and don't travel very far, so that's why they are distinct for the region.