during January and February, the spiderlings hatch. The young spiders then disperse from the web. Little is known about the dispersal mechanism that the spiderlings use to move away from the nest. In one study, observing spiders over 24 hours, 28% used a ballooning method, which is where the young spiders use air currents to carry themselves away from the nest suspended by a single web strand, while the majority, 61%, used a bridging method where the spiderling uses its silk to move to nearby plants, and 11% still remained in the nest. The young spiderlings reach full maturity the following spring. The close relationship between the katipō and redback is shown when mating. A male redback is able to successfully mate with a female katipō producing hybrid offspring. However, a male katipō cannot mate with the female redback as the male katipō is heavier than the male redback, and when it approaches the web it triggers a predatory response in the female leading to the male being eaten before mating occurs. There is evidence of interbreeding between katipō and redbacks in the wild. Predators The katipō has only one known direct predator: a small, undescribed native wasp from the family Ichneumonidae has been observed feeding on katipō eggs. Population decline The katipō is an endangered species and has recently become threatened with extinction. It is estimated that there are only a few thousand katipō left in about 50 areas in the North Island and eight areas in the South Island, making it rarer than some species of kiwi. A number of factors have contributed to its decline; the major ones appear to be loss of habitat and the declining quality of the remaining habitat. Human interference with their natural habitat has been occurring for over a century following European settlement. Coastal dune modification resulting from agriculture, forestry, or urban development, along with recreational activities like the use of beach buggies, off-road vehicles, beach horse riding and driftwood collection have destroyed or changed areas where katipō lives. The introduction of many invasive exotic plants has also contributed to the decline of suitable habitat. Foreign spiders have colonised areas where suitable habitat remains. The major coloniser is the South African spider Steatoda capensis. It was first reported in the 1990s and may have displaced the katipō along the west coast of the North Island from Wellington to Whanganui, although both the