British Arachnological Society
@britishspiders.bsky.social
The British Arachnological Society (BAS) is the UK’s only body devoted exclusively to the study of arachnids (spiders, harvestmen & pseudoscorpions): https://britishspiders.org.uk. To record GB spiders, please use https://irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-records.
On Lucerne plant going to seed what looked like a round mass of spider web from above when turned over appeared to contain a mass of blueish eggs. Just over 1cm across. Any ideas please? Today at Icklingham in the #Suffolk #Brecks. @britishspiders.bsky.social
Not often that Britain’s media produces a balanced and accurate piece during “spider season” so the BBC should be applauded for this www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
Are the UK's spiders getting bigger?
It's the start of spider season. But what might make spiders seem bigger this year?
bbc.co.uk
The finale of a great day's spidering on our members' w/e on the Dorset heaths, 'lamping' for noturnal species. Great technique though sadly no Alopecosa fabrilis Great Fox Spider. Plenty of other green spider eyes lighting up though!
Garden/house wildlife. I found this tiny (about 1mm overall) sub-adult jumping spider yesterday on the kitchen wall, near the back door. Thanks to Daniel Oakes on the UK Spiders Facebook group for identifying it as Ballus chalybeius - a new one for me/here! @britishspiders.bsky.social
Always a treat, Britain's only mygalomorph, the Purseweb Spider Atypus affinis, complete with its 'dirty socks' on the sandy slopes around Morden Bog.
Turned out to be the pink day of our members' weekend, with fantastic numbers of Heather Crab Spider Thomisus onustus and towering Dorset Heath Erica ciliaris among other epic species in the wonderful Morden Bog.
Quick refueling stop before the next patch of choice habitat...
Oops, spiders briefly eclipsed by a Clifton Nonpareil...
And we're off! The assembled samplers at the start of the first day of our members' w/e in Dorset - appetites whetted by great talks last night..
Greeted on the garden path by an old friend and one of my favourite arachnids. Particularly keen to pose for pictures too which they don't normally. Scytodes thoracica-the 'Spitting Spider'
Can anyone confirm the species of this spider in my vegetable patch today please? @britishspiders.bsky.social
Two nicely camouflaged spiders from the sand dunes at Studland, Dorset this week. Attulus saltator and Psammitis sabulosa.
Absolutely no surprise that the first spider in the new shed was Scotophaeus blackwalli. #Araneae @britishspiders.bsky.social
A beautiful large spider in the fens of Cambridgeshire today - Araneus marmoreus (Marbled Orbweaver) @britishspiders.bsky.social I’ll iRecord
Trochosa robusta female, male and juveniles and Pellenes tripunctatus from Dorset. So happy to have found these. @britishspiders.bsky.social
I've wanted to cover this species for a couple of years now, and finally was able to. If you like spiders with big munchdongles, this one is for you. Meet the Woodlouse Hunter. youtu.be/inqJzl5hWFo?...
The Woodlouse Hunter - The Spiders in Your House
YouTube video by Travis McEnery
youtu.be
An unusual spot to find a Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi in our garden today, Buckfastleigh, Devon
I think it's safe to assume that this year has been my best year ever for Spitting Spider Scytodes thoracica, incl. seeing 2 at the same time and my first juv. I've still only seen them in 2 locations - here & once in Bristol Museum when I worked there in the late 80s. @britishspiders.bsky.social
Some internet research and help from @snake-spider-et-al.bsky.social confirms this as Dendryphantes rudis, an import from Europe which has established in a couple of areas. Not sure if there have been any in Oxfordshire before but certainly derived from the terrace pines @britishspiders.bsky.social
Despite having done my PhD on spider vibration sensing I confess I haven't exactly developed my ID skills for British spiders - nonetheless I did recognise this as something interesting today when it jumped onto my leg whilst birding from the garden terrace at the Life and Mind Building, Oxford 1/2
A quiet night in the trap with mostly Large Yellow Underwings. A couple of Small Mottled Willow and Scrobipalpa ocellatella. A Noble False Widow (Steatoda nobilis) was under the trap @britishspiders.bsky.social
Both forms of Araneus marmoreus from Lakenheath Fen. @britishspiders.bsky.social
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk A quick stop-off in Wales, to find a spider that I've yet to see in England. It always surprises me just how well such a big spider can 'hide in plain sight' on bare stone Arctosa cinerea is always a sight to behold
A sure sign that autumn has arrived, these are suddenly everywhere. Araneus diadematus - the European garden spider. #spider
Tiny male Flower Crab Spider (Misumena vatia), waiting to ambush its prey on a Snowberry flower today. 5/9/26 #spider
A quartet of harvestmen - it's that time of year! Found in my local cemetery, most hanging out on the wall of the crematorium. IDs in Alt text. #Harvestmen #Opiliones #Arachnids
And another new find for the Beth Chatto Gardens yesterday was the nationally scarce jumping spider Ballus chalybaeus. Didn't see it itself, but its web is very distinctive...
I reminded myself that my website has been a bit out of date (oops!). It should be looking better now! 🕷️
Fiona Cross - Spider Cognition — Latest news
google.com
Remarkable, even without the fluorescence!
Nicky Bay@nickybay.bsky.social · 2w agoThis biscuit fluoresces under ultraviolet.
