Tegwyn

The Black Laceweb Spider, Amaurobius ferox. Image thanks to Alan Thornhill.

The black Laceweb Spider Amaurobius ferox is the largest of Britain's three Amaurobius species. Like them, it's winter active, with mature animals found throughout the year. For more information on the Laceweb spiders, see our Factsheet 13 at britishspiders.org.uk/factsheets

YouTube video by EZ lab Osmooka aphana: new spider genus and species discovered in Madagascar

Here is a Youtube video describing our new research. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rWG...

Daddy Long-legs Spider Pholcus phalangioides with wrapped Woodlouse Spider Dysdera crocata prey

A Daddy Long-legs Spider Pholcus phalangioides showing off its amazing predatorial skills by silk-wrapping the rear end of a Woodlouse Spider Dysdera crocata while keeping well clear of its formidable jaws. For more info on both species see our Factsheets 3 and 17 at britishspiders.org.uk/factsheets

1/2 #speciesaday no. 679 is Euophrys frontalis. A very common jumper in open habitats. Identifiable throughout much of the year. Adult males have magic wands for front legs and red-ringed eyes (think Paul Daniels with hay fever). Striking white on the top of the palps too! I just love salticids!

Lophomma punctatum - a common spider of wet places. See the pitted carapace. From Sweet Briar Marshes back in October. Not really much else of interest.

1/2 #speciesaday no. 677 is Walckenaeria acuminata. Periscope up! The male of this spider has its eyes spread out along the turret - 4 half way and the other 4 at the top! This genus is an utter joy, I love showing this spider to people for the first time. Even the female has a small protrusion.

UK orbweb spiders up close! 🕸️

Join Martin Frost on Tuesday, 5th May to learn about Garden Spiders, Wasp Spiders & more, their webs, ecology & behaviour. Ideal for enthusiasts & beginners. 🌍 🧪

Reserve your place: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1976588654...

Microneta viaria female

Microneta viaria.

#Arachnids #Spiders #VC55 #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem

Visited the Lewis Merthyr coal tip above Trehafod last weekend. Once industrial spoil, it’s now heather, whinberry, lichens & warm bare ground supporting specialist wildlife. Conifers are creeping in, so management is key. Even in winter it’s beautiful 💚

#GloiNatur #CoaltoNature #CoalSpoil

Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition | Royal Society Celebrating the power of photography to communicate science.

Wow! Our long-term collaborator and friend Martín Ramírez is the winner of the @royalsocietypublishing.org photo competition, with a SEM image from our joint research on spider silk!!
royalsociety.org/journals/pub...

Cobwebs/sheet webs/hammock webs/funnel webs - find out more about the variety, sophistication and architectural mastery of #spider webs. Our Factsheet 7 at britishspiders.org.uk/factsheets is a good starting point!

Pisaura mirabilis: photo thanks to Alan Thornhill.

Usually sub-adult at this time of year, winter sun-seekers Nurseryweb Spiders Pisaura mirabilis can often be found basking in suntraps, even in December. To find out more about this distinctive species, best known for presenting nuptial gifts, try our Factsheet 15 at britishspiders.org.uk/factsheets

For December #SquareOfTheMonth we are highlighting 1km squares with zero modern records! Can you help update the species list for these squares?

SO4114 Llantilio Crossenny #Monmouthshire
SS9690 Gilfach Goch #RhonddaCynonTaf

Gwent: www.sewbrec.org.uk/sqothm/197
Glam: www.sewbrec.org.uk/sqothm/196

New paper on bark spiders, who build the largest webs made out of the toughest silk. We show that their extremely tough silk, which is potentially metabolically costly, is limited to large females. Juveniles and males use inferior silk.

The habitus view of a female specimen of Scotinella pennimani.

The epigynum of the female of Scotinella pennimani.

RE-DISCOVERY #3

Scotinella pennimani Platnick and Chamé-Vázquez, 2024 (Phrurolithidae) was described just last year from specimens collected in 1967 (58 years ago). We found this lady in Okefenokee NWR on Trembling Earth Nature Trail just north of Stephen C. Foster State Park in SE Georgia.

Naming species is crucial to conserving them according to spider expert - ABC listen Living scientist Dr Mark Harvey reaches rare milestone of naming 1000 species of invertebrates.

Dr Mark “Spider Man” Harvey, Western Australian Museum Research Associate and Associate Editor of our journal Invertebrate Systematics, has reached an extraordinary milestone: he has described 1,000th species.

www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

#InvertebrateSys

Perfect for me in that case 😄

I would be inclined to say S.nobilis also but can't be 100% from the pic

A love letter to #spiders and everything they do for us, referencing a 2023 ZooKeys study by @mhedin.bsky.social and @forthespiders.bsky.social where they described 10 new cave spider species!

eu.knoxnews.com/story/life/2...

Anyone read it?

Not mine. 2 at Cosmeston Park (asked rangers). One Rhoose area.

Be a nice idea to have a monthly species of interest posted

Have 3 records via LERC Wales. Can see one is excepted but can't look back far enough on the LERC app to check the others

Are you particularly looking for A.barbipes records atm? Have recorded them from two different locations nearby. Very nice looking spider.

Not read it entirely but still interesting and shows the unfortunate decrease in diversity. Also surprises me how quickly survey data can change, eg T.hannoniae. Original site probably gone but two more found. One site its appears only in 2m² so still at risk. Keeping recording and surveying!

What appears to be a Helpis sp. Found several spiders varying from spiderlings to approx 4mm in size. Currently rearing two until maturity for definite ID. Readily taking fruit flies.
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk

@britishspiders.bsky.social

First page of Meade's monograph on British harvestmen dated 1855.

First page of Pickard-Cambridge's monograph on British harvestmen dated 1890.

Plate of drawings of harvestmen from Pickard-Cambridge's monograh.

Current research, delving into the first monographs on British harvestmen - Meade 1855 and Pickard-Cambridge 1890. Got the pdfs printed and bound together. Lovely plate from Pickard-Cambridge.

We performed an experiment with two spider species, one web building and one cursorial species. Juveniles experienced vibrations or visual input or both or no stimuli. Their brain areas did not differ significantly. However, siblings reacted in a similar way.

Spiders that experience vibrations, visual stimuli, both or none during development do not differ strongly in the size of their brain areas. This is a surprising finding. Even more surprising is that siblings react alike. See our new publication in the J. comp. Neurology.
doi.org/10.1002/cne....
🧪🕷