A newly discovered, endangered species of spider has been named after David Bowie.

The large, hairy, yellow arachnid was discovered in Malaysia by German Peter Jäger who has already found more than 200 new species of spider in the past decade.

Jäger gave the spider the name Heteropoda Davidbowie in the hope that it would attract public and media attention to the dwindling global spider population.

He said: "Along with the species, we are also quickly losing genetic resources that have evolved over more than 300 million years."

Bowie, of course, released the timeless concept record 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust' and the Spiders from Mars back in in 1972.

(by Scott Colothan)