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• U. S. Endangered Species Act (USA)
• 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals (UK)
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (UK)
• Law 22/IX/1980 (Belgium)
• Transvaal Provincial Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1983 (South Africa)
• Wildlife Amendment Act, 1980 (New Zealand)

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U.S. Endangered Species Act (USA)

• Tooth cave spider (Neoleptoneta myopica) was listed as Endangered in Texas in 1988.

• Spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga) was listed as Endangered in North Carolina and Tennessee in 1995. Read a short conservation case study including images. A Final Recovery Plan has been approved for the Spruce-fir moss spider. It is available from the Fish and Wildlife Reference Service in Bethesda, Maryland: 1-800-582-3421 or 301-492-6403.

• Kauai cave wolf spider (Adelocosa anops) was recently (January, 2000) listed as Endangered  in Hawaii.

• Five Texas cave spiders: Robber Baron cave spider (Cicurina baronia), Madla's cave spider (Cicurina madla), Cicurina venii, Vesper cave spider (Cicurina vepera), and the Government Canyon cave spider (Neoleptoneta microps). These spiders were recently (December,2000) listed as Endangered.

• Warton's cave spider (Cicurina wartoni) of Texas

2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals

The 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals provides information on rare and threatened species around the world.  While this list does not provide direct legal protection, it is often used to identify conservation targets.  Some arachnids have been listed including 15 spiders. No changes in the spider fauna occured since the 1996 Red List.

Results of a Red List taxonomic query for Order Araneae (10/4/00):
 

Family	Common Name	Scientific Name	Category/Criteria**	Distribution
Ctenizidae	Torreya trap-door spider	Cyclocosmia torreya	Data deficient/-	USA
Gnaphosidae	Key gnaphosid spider	Cesonia irvingi	Data deficient/-	Bahamas, USA
Gradungulidae	Nelson cave spider	Spelungula cavernicola	Data Deficient/-	New Zealand
Hexathelidae	<unavailable>	Macrothele cretica	Data Deficient/-	Greece
Leptonetidae	Tooth Cave Spider	Neoleptoneta myopica	Data deficient/-	USA
Linyphiidae	Kocevje subterranean spider	Troglohyphantes gracilis	Vulnerable/D2	Slovenia
Linyphiidae	Kocevje subterranean spider	Troglohyphantes similis	Vulnerable/D2	Slovenia
Linyphiidae	Kocevje subterranean spider	Troglohyphantes spinipes	Vulnerable/D2	Slovenia
Lycosidae	Kauai cave wolf spider	Adelocosa anops	Endangered/B1+2c	USA
Lycosidae	Rosemary wolf spider	Lycosa ericeticola	Data Deficient/-	USA
Lycosidae	Glacier Bay wolf spider	Pardosa diuturna	Vulnerable/D2	USA
Lycosidae	Lake Placid funnel wolf spider	Sosippus placidus	Vulnerable/D2	USA
Pisauridae	Great raft spider	Dolomedes plantarius	Vulnerable/A1ace+2ce	Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden
Tetragnathidae	Dolloff cave spider	Meta dolloff	Vulnerable/D2	USA
Theraphosidae	Red-kneed tarantula	Euathlus smithi	Lower Risk: Near Threatened/-	Mexico

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

In 1995, all spider species of the genus Brachypelma (which includes the Mexican red-kneed tarantula) were listed on Appendix II of CITES.  This designation is for species that are not currently threatened by extinction but have the possibility of becoming threatened if trade is not regulated. This includes the following Brachypelma species (from a query of the CITES species database on Order Araneae):
 

albopilosum (Curlyhair) angustum (Costa rica red) auratum (Mexican orange beauty) aureoceps (Florida golden chestnut) baumgarteni (Mexican fireleg) boehmei(Mexican rustleg) emilia (Mexican redleg)

epicureanum (Yucatan rust rump) fossorium (Costa Rican rustbrown) klaasi (Mexican pink) pallidum (Mexican rose) sabulosum (Guatemalan redrump) smithi (Mexican redknee) vagans (Mexican redrump)

While these species are still available in the pet trade through captive breeding and regulated trade, restrictions on their import and export across national borders is in place.

It is important to note that additional research on the status of natural populations of these species is needed in order to characterize the actual threat, if any, posed by collection pressures.  Little is known about the geographic distribution of many of these species. It is possible that they could be negatively impacted by overcollection due to their long life spans, population structures, and sensitivity to environmental stochasticity (Wolff 1995).  For another perspective on this topic from tarantula enthusiasts, visit the American Tarantula Society site where some discussion of this topic has ensued.

Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (UK)

Two species are protected from harm, collection, or trade:  Dolomedes plantarius and Eresus niger.

Law 22/IX/1980 (Belgium)

Four species are protected under this law: Argiope bruennichi, Atypus affinis, Dolomedes fimbriatus, and Argyroneta aquatica.

Transvaal Provincial Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1983 (South Africa)

Three genera of the family Theraphosidae, including Ceratogyrus, Harpactira and Pterinochilus were added to Schedule Seven of the Transvaal Provincial Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1983 as Protected Invertebrate Animals.

Wildlife Amendment Act, 1980 (New Zealand)

One species (Spelunga cavernicola) is listed in the Seventh Schedule and afforded some measure of protection.