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britishspiders.bsky.social
British Arachnological Society
@britishspiders.bsky.social
2.6K followers 110 following 590 posts
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.
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britishspiders.bsky.social
British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · Jan 26
In bookshops from 30th January and available now on pre-order, @rlewington2.bsky.social's authoritative and exquisitely illustrated new @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social pocket guide to Britain's commonest and most easily recognizable spiders. Highly recommended! #spiders #arachnology
The cover of Richard Lewington's new pocket guide to British spiders - illustrated with a Wasp Spider
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arachnoteg.bsky.social
Update on the group of Helpis I found in Nov. They have gone through a few moults. Female is now mature. More by luck than anything else the other one turns out to be a male. Still looks immature to me. Will do both ID's when male has matured.
January 22, 2026 at 3:39 PM
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bogtrotter2024.bsky.social
An excellent paper "Fine details: Tips for improving specimen photography" by @ajcann.bsky.social in latest edition of British Journal of Entomology & Natural History just arrived @britentsoc.bsky.social 🪳🕷🪲🐝🦗🦟🐞
January 19, 2026 at 5:53 PM
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jeremybartlett.bsky.social
Diaea dorsata, a small green crab spider spending the winter in a hollow twig at East Winch Common. Found on yesterday's Norfolk Fungus Study Group foray.

www.naturespot.org/species/diae...

srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p...

@britishspiders.bsky.social #Spiders
Diaea dorsata, a small green crab spider, peering out from a hollow twig encrusted with fungi.
January 19, 2026 at 5:10 PM
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paulwildlife.bsky.social
@britishspiders.bsky.social is it possible to identify this at all? Cheshire. #arachnids #spider
January 14, 2026 at 9:03 PM
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norwichgiant.bsky.social
Unexpected li'l cutie Crab spider hanging out on the car today! @britishspiders.bsky.social
A small crab spider sitting on a damp car A small crab spider sitting on a damp car
January 17, 2026 at 12:53 PM
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katharinekite.bsky.social
Glorious #spiders

@britishspiders.bsky.social
c0nc0rdance.bsky.social c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 9d
Take a close look at this picture.

What an interesting coin or artifact, you probably think 🤔. Such interesting detail, intricately carved or molded 🧐 ... HAHA sucker, you're looking at a SPIDER'S BUTT.

Let's meet Cyclocosmia ricketti, the Chinese hourglass spider.

CW: spiders & their butts
"C.ricketti, female from Jiangxi Province, China (CKYH), left: opisthosomal disc; right: details of radial ribs;" Source is given in thread.
January 17, 2026 at 1:11 PM
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forthespiders.bsky.social
It's true, after years of work, Jackson Means, myself, and the late Dr. Richard Hoffman compiled a 130-page tome of Virginia spiders in the journal, Banisteria. The journal dedicated the entire first issue to this work. We add over 140 new species records to the state to stand at 713.
January 16, 2026 at 4:11 PM
britishspiders.bsky.social
Guaranteed fascination from @travismcenery.bsky.social with another 'Spiders in Your Yard' video. For the GB audience, although we don't have this specific species we do have other (also venom-less) Uloborus species, both native and introduced.
travismcenery.bsky.social Travis McEnery @travismcenery.bsky.social · 9d
This one took longer than I expected, because I had no idea how unusual these spiders actually were. Who knew they were so full of surprises?

With help from the fantastic Dr. Giulia Zancolli!

youtu.be/2TE9xZDnvM8
The Featherlegged Orbweaver - The Spiders in Your Yard
YouTube video by Travis McEnery
youtu.be
January 15, 2026 at 11:45 AM
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clydesidewild.bsky.social
Tuesday 13th Jan
Zygiella sp (probably x-notata) quite a large female found on one of the supports of Stockingfield Bridge, F&C Canal.
#spiders
January 13, 2026 at 3:01 PM
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ninasch.bsky.social
I had a rather bad start into the NewYear™ and I fear things will only get worse (regarding politics/climate).

However, I've been visiting a crab spider (Diaea dorsata) that made its (overwintering?) home near the inflorescence of a now-dead Apiaceae.

#SpiderSky #arachnids #inverts 🕷️🌿
A green spider slightly visible through the dead branches of an Apiaceae (think, inflorescence of a carrot). What isn't really visible on the image itself is the fine light silk the spider has weaved near itself. I guess it serves as an isolating layer for further protection.
January 14, 2026 at 7:36 PM
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vannabartlett.bsky.social
A little wander round Earlham Cemetery in Norwich today produced 5 species of harvestman including these two Dicranopalpus larvatus which were found under fallen branches. #harvestmen #opiliones #arachnids
A male Dicranopalpus larvatus on a pale piece of wood. The harvestman has a black and white body, dark legs and eyes and forked pedipalps. A female Dicranopalpus larvatus on a piece of wet wood. Her body is a purplish-brown colour with some light spots. Her eyes are dark and she has forked pedipalps.
January 10, 2026 at 4:20 PM
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chizz13.bsky.social
A second Important record for West Sussex, I found it last year. And found it again today at a different site. Centromerus cavernarum.

@britishspiders.bsky.social
#spiders #centromerus #arachnids
January 14, 2026 at 6:48 PM
britishspiders.bsky.social
Surveying for some of our most threatened spiders is no picnic (although it can be entertaining!)- here's Richard Gallon, head of our national Spider Recording Scheme showing how its done... @ecology-digest.bsky.social
January 14, 2026 at 9:03 PM
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biologicalrecording.co.uk
🕷️ Spider ID Quiz!

How well do you know your spiders? Can you name the orbweb species in these photos? Put your guesses in the comments 👇

Want to learn more? Join our Orbweb Spider webinar on Tue 5th May 2026. 🧪 🌎

Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1976588654...

@britishspiders.bsky.social
January 14, 2026 at 2:45 PM
britishspiders.bsky.social
A fantastic contribution to our knowledge of the distribution and status on Norfolk's pseudoscorpions via the most original of sampling methods - #PanChurchyardListing. Anyone else fancy giving it a go?
vannabartlett.bsky.social Vanna Bartlett @vannabartlett.bsky.social · 11d
2025 was the year of the pseudoscorpion as far as I'm concerned. I managed to see 14 species in Norfolk, mostly by cycling round to various churchyards but I also got a lift out to a few places by car. Over 100 churchyards visited by bicycle though. Photo montage of species, map of 2025's records.
A montage of the 14 species of pseudoscorpion that I recorded in Norfolk in 2025. All except one I found myself although one other was from a site that it had been previously recorded from so I new where to look. A map of Norfolk with orange circles showing where I recorded a pseudoscorpion during 2025.
January 13, 2026 at 6:37 PM
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alexwild.bsky.social
I don't know why people use gen-AI for nature posting. Real animals are amazing all on their own.
From the spiders community on Reddit: A courting pair of Brazilian Jewels. This tiny (~2”), docile, and rare type of tarantula lives beneath camouflaged silken trapdoors on trees and is one of the mos...
Explore this post and more from the spiders community
www.reddit.com
January 11, 2026 at 7:51 PM
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ajcann.bsky.social
Palptastic
Scraping the barrel with the 2025 samples now.
Soon I may have to go ... outside.

#Arachnids #Spiders #VC55
Araniella cucurbitina, Clubiona lutescens Pilodromus cespitum, Xysticus cristatus
January 12, 2026 at 2:36 PM
britishspiders.bsky.social
Our international journal Arachnology is freely available to our members (see britishspiders.org.uk/join) and we are also very pleased that it is made available to a much wider audience via BioOne.
bioone.bsky.social BioOne @bioone.bsky.social · 17d
Spotlight on #S2O pilot partner @britishspiders.bsky.social, publishing #research on all aspects of #arachnology, including #arachnid #biology and #ecology, descriptions of new species, and information on recent discoveries.

Discover more: bio-one.co/ARGY
Learn about S2O: bio-one.co/s2o
BioOne. Featured Journal: Arachnology. Journal cover for Arachnology featuring photos of spiders. S2O logo. Subscribe to Open: Equitable Open Access.
January 12, 2026 at 5:56 PM
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ajcann.bsky.social
Spidery Word Of The Day: lamella characteristica.

#Arachnids #Spiders #VC55 #Linyphiidae
Tallusia experta male palp showing lamella characteristica
January 4, 2026 at 3:56 PM
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wa-moths.bsky.social
Came across this Orange Spider Wasp (Heterodontonyx bicolor) just as she was paralysing this unfortunate Huntsman spider, who she’ll now seal into a nest along with an egg that she lays.

Nature can seem brutal at times!

#ausinverts #wildoz #spider #arachnid #wasp #Hymenoptera #nature #inaturalist
Picture with a large orange and black wasp at the top and a larger pale brown spider at the bottom. The wasp is standing over the spider
January 12, 2026 at 12:15 PM
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ajcann.bsky.social
Spent the afternoon in the delightful company of a great many Tallusia experta.

#Arachnids #Spiders #VC55 #Linyphiidae
Female (left) and male (right) Tallusia experta. Tallusia experta male palp. Tallusia experta female epigyne.
January 4, 2026 at 3:55 PM
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oden-gjallarhornet.bsky.social
Tropical #Spiders Make Fearsome 'Puppets' of Themselves For Protection

www.sciencealert.com/tropical-spi...
Tropical Spiders Make Fearsome 'Puppets' of Themselves For Protection
Some spiders build delicate little nets, others colossal web megacities, and now some in Peru and the Philippines have been found sculpting giant doppelgängers out of silk, prey carcasses, and debris.
www.sciencealert.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:58 PM
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dwightreads.bsky.social
This little spider is spinning its own galaxy

#Spiders #SpinyOrbWeaver #SpiderWeb #Florida #nature #outdoors #photography #scape #EastCoastKin #photohour #PhotographersUnited #Stunday
A Spiny Orb Weaver spider is building a web. Sunlight is behind the web creating a rainbow of colors on the silk. You can see the outline of the spider and its red spikes on the lower right side of the web.
January 11, 2026 at 3:17 PM
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vannabartlett.bsky.social
A little wander round Earlham Cemetery in Norwich today produced 5 species of harvestman, 4 shown here. It was rather chilly and we had snow lying just a couple of days ago - shows how hardy these arachnids are. IDs in alt text. #harvestmen #opiliones #arachnids
Paroligolophus agrestis on a gravestone. A fairly short-legged harvestman with a smooth pale ocularium and a pinkish body with the saddle outlined with black blotches. Juvenile Rilaena triangularis on the underside of a piece of wood. This harvestman has a very large ocularium and the body is mottled brown with white spots. Opilio canestrinii on a gravestone. This is quite a pale individual, almost pinkish with paired dark and light bars on the abdomen. The trochanters are pale and it has long legs. Dicranopalpus sp male on a gravestone. It has a small dark body with long legs held out at right angles. This one looks like Dicranopalpus caudatus but it would need to be dissected to be sure.
January 10, 2026 at 4:15 PM
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graemelyons.bsky.social
As of this morning, I am on 571 species for the year. Here's an update from an exciting spider trip to Stedham & Iping Commons on the 7th January where I found a spider that's not been seen there since 1969 @sussexwildlife.bsky.social analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2026/01/6000...
January 10, 2026 at 7:28 AM