10-year-old found mystery spider; scientists later named new species after him

While on the remote island Murphy picked up a small spider that intrigued him, and he decided not to wonder what sort of spider he'd found, but to seek the opinion of an expert. For most kids, finding a spider would be a scream, and then a quick retreat. But for Murphy Widdowson, it was a scientific discovery. What began as a routine encounter with a tiny spider on a remote Australian island eventually led experts to identify a previously unknown species, and give it a name that would forever be linked to the curious schoolboy who found it. According to a Daily Mail report from 2021, Murphy was 10 years old in 2020 and was staying on Deal Island off the northeast coast of Tasmania while his parents worked there. While on the remote island Murphy picked up a small spider that intrigued him, and he decided not to wonder what sort of spider he'd found, but to seek the opinion of an expert. Seeking help identifying his strange find, he contacted the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. And Museum arachnologist John Douglas was unable to identify the specimen with certainty, suggesting Murphy’s find may be more than meets the eye. Scroll down to know what happened next.M...