Vote for the beast that may be as ruthlessly predatory as us - the fen raft spider

With a leg-span the size of your hand, the UK's biggest spider, ultra-rare and known for its extraordinary hunting skills, has many admirersMore amazing nominations here!Meet an Olympian among Britain's 660 spider species: a palm-of-the-hand-sized arachnid that hunts in three dimensions and can even devour fish.The fen raft spider (Dolomedes plantarius) is a magnificent ambush predator: harmless to humans but lethal if you're a pond skater, tadpole or even adult dragonfly.Araneae have been feared and discriminated against throughout historyBetween 24 March and 2 April, we will be profiling a shortlist of 10 of the invertebrates chosen by readers and selected by our wildlife writers from more than 2,500 nominations. The voting for our 2025 invertebrate of the year will run from midday on Wednesday, 2 April until midday on Friday, 4 April, and the winner will be announced on Monday, 7 April. Continue reading...