Britain's rarest and one of its most spectacular spiders is alive and well on Dorset's heaths.

The ladybird spider (Eresus sandaliatus) was thought to be extinct in the UK since 1906, when it was last recorded in Bournemouth.

But it was rediscovered at a secret location in Dorset in 1979 by Dr Peter Merrett and the diminutive creepy crawlies have been coaxed back from the brink.

Careful management has resulted in a healthy population of the arachnids, whose males measure 6-9mm while the females measure 10-16mm.

Fussy about their habitat, they like patchy, well- drained, south-facing lowland heath.

When much of Poole and Bournemouth's heathland disappeared, naturalists thought the spider's fate had been sealed.

And their personal habits are questionable, with the male being eaten by the female after mating and the babies devouring their mum.

However, some survived in another part of Dorset and are now being reintroduced to Tadnoll and Winfrith.

Ladybird spiders are black for most of their lives but in their last autumn the males moult into the stunning red and black that gives them their name.

"This is a very exciting project which we are pleased to be a part of," said Rob Brunt, reserves manager, Dorset Wildlife Trust.

"It underlines the importance of nature reserves for the long- term protection of extremely rare species such as the ladybird spider."