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.
Damian, unfortunately we are not able to extract all records from Twitter / X or other social media, as posts / tweets seldom contain all the info needed e.g. OS grid reference.
To ensure we have it, could you add it to iRecord using the spiders species group form 👇🏻
To ensure we have it, could you add it to iRecord using the spiders species group form 👇🏻
November 2, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Damian, unfortunately we are not able to extract all records from Twitter / X or other social media, as posts / tweets seldom contain all the info needed e.g. OS grid reference.
To ensure we have it, could you add it to iRecord using the spiders species group form 👇🏻
To ensure we have it, could you add it to iRecord using the spiders species group form 👇🏻
Important records, James. Not just NS but also Amber listed for apparent decline. The #phenology chart is odd too - a little, late autumn peak of adults (which your records will augment) but an otherwise mainly summer season:
October 23, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Important records, James. Not just NS but also Amber listed for apparent decline. The #phenology chart is odd too - a little, late autumn peak of adults (which your records will augment) but an otherwise mainly summer season:
Rory, mengei and segmentata are almost inseparable without microscopy. However, adult males (this isn’t an adult male) can be ID’d by the presence (mengei) or absence (segmentata) of certain spines on tarsi of first pair of legs.
October 11, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Rory, mengei and segmentata are almost inseparable without microscopy. However, adult males (this isn’t an adult male) can be ID’d by the presence (mengei) or absence (segmentata) of certain spines on tarsi of first pair of legs.
Talk time at our Wicken Fen field meeting, with Richard Gallon on how to look for spiders in the variety of GB habitats and the one and only Graeme Lyons on the how and why of #PanSpeciesListing
October 4, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Talk time at our Wicken Fen field meeting, with Richard Gallon on how to look for spiders in the variety of GB habitats and the one and only Graeme Lyons on the how and why of #PanSpeciesListing
Out of the wind and into the microscopy - Critically Endangered in GB, Zora armillata has to be the species of the day.
October 4, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Out of the wind and into the microscopy - Critically Endangered in GB, Zora armillata has to be the species of the day.
All looks normal for the start of our BAS field weekend at Wicken Fen with a great talk on the conservation history of this iconic site, but storm Amy is winding up outside. We'll need luck for the 4th Arachtober!
October 3, 2025 at 9:12 PM
All looks normal for the start of our BAS field weekend at Wicken Fen with a great talk on the conservation history of this iconic site, but storm Amy is winding up outside. We'll need luck for the 4th Arachtober!
So difficult to spot - quite widely distributed around our sandy coastlines, almost always on the mobile forefront of the dunes:1
October 1, 2025 at 8:35 PM
So difficult to spot - quite widely distributed around our sandy coastlines, almost always on the mobile forefront of the dunes:1
Spot on, Jules. A nice adult male - they have very much an autumn breeding season. Please can you iRecord it via irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re... to help monitor its expanding range!
October 1, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Spot on, Jules. A nice adult male - they have very much an autumn breeding season. Please can you iRecord it via irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re... to help monitor its expanding range!
The Wasp Spider's steady progress north and west continues, with much consolidation of its occupancy of the south east as well:
September 29, 2025 at 11:35 AM
The Wasp Spider's steady progress north and west continues, with much consolidation of its occupancy of the south east as well:
As stated by @stevenwright58.bsky.social this species has a much wider distribution than suggested with records from Lincolnshire and the Humber. This shows current distribution (iRecord data on the left, SRS website map on right)
September 18, 2025 at 7:45 AM
As stated by @stevenwright58.bsky.social this species has a much wider distribution than suggested with records from Lincolnshire and the Humber. This shows current distribution (iRecord data on the left, SRS website map on right)
Do you have a total for you wall, John? Their adult season is pretty well all year though with a mid-summer peak:
September 8, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Do you have a total for you wall, John? Their adult season is pretty well all year though with a mid-summer peak:
That’s a very odd distribution map. Take a look at map from national Spider Recording Scheme 👇🏻 at srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p... which shows 1,500+ records.
In southern parts of UK, species is so common that few bother to submit records and therefore believe it’s under-recorded
In southern parts of UK, species is so common that few bother to submit records and therefore believe it’s under-recorded
August 26, 2025 at 11:46 AM
That’s a very odd distribution map. Take a look at map from national Spider Recording Scheme 👇🏻 at srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p... which shows 1,500+ records.
In southern parts of UK, species is so common that few bother to submit records and therefore believe it’s under-recorded
In southern parts of UK, species is so common that few bother to submit records and therefore believe it’s under-recorded
An article on the separation of the three species of Episinus by Richard Gallon @cofnod.org.uk was published in our Newsletter a few years ago with mist relevant info below. ID based on dark band in middle of femora of each leg
August 7, 2025 at 3:54 PM
An article on the separation of the three species of Episinus by Richard Gallon @cofnod.org.uk was published in our Newsletter a few years ago with mist relevant info below. ID based on dark band in middle of femora of each leg
This is Episinus maculipes, a spider that is being found much more frequently in the last few years in southern Britain. A map of records from the Spider Recording Scheme is below
August 7, 2025 at 3:54 PM
This is Episinus maculipes, a spider that is being found much more frequently in the last few years in southern Britain. A map of records from the Spider Recording Scheme is below
If you do just want an introduction to British spiders, this is good but if you want to learn the steps to ID spiders, the WildGuides is better
June 26, 2025 at 8:54 AM
If you do just want an introduction to British spiders, this is good but if you want to learn the steps to ID spiders, the WildGuides is better
There is 👇🏻
Widely available from all good bookshops and online suppliers.
This is the 2nd edition, which contains additional info and ‘keys’ compared to the 1st edn.
Widely available from all good bookshops and online suppliers.
This is the 2nd edition, which contains additional info and ‘keys’ compared to the 1st edn.
June 26, 2025 at 8:51 AM
There is 👇🏻
Widely available from all good bookshops and online suppliers.
This is the 2nd edition, which contains additional info and ‘keys’ compared to the 1st edn.
Widely available from all good bookshops and online suppliers.
This is the 2nd edition, which contains additional info and ‘keys’ compared to the 1st edn.
Yes, of course. All records are useful. You can enter it on iRecord using our Species Group Form 👇🏻
June 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Yes, of course. All records are useful. You can enter it on iRecord using our Species Group Form 👇🏻
Do you iRecord on the SRS form at irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re..., Rob? Much appreciated if you do - hectad records for M. muscosa in Norfolk are still pretty sparse :
May 9, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Do you iRecord on the SRS form at irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re..., Rob? Much appreciated if you do - hectad records for M. muscosa in Norfolk are still pretty sparse :
Yes, a smart adult male Philodromus dispar. Generally a tricky group to ID but these males are distinctive. Please do iRecord on the Spider Recording Scheme form at irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re... - Norfolk has some large 'holes for this species!
May 6, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Yes, a smart adult male Philodromus dispar. Generally a tricky group to ID but these males are distinctive. Please do iRecord on the Spider Recording Scheme form at irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re... - Norfolk has some large 'holes for this species!
John, the tiny one probably is a Garden Spider but the others are Zilla diodia, one of our smallest araneids. You can see the very finely woven hub of the web and the distinctive, rather triangular abdomen with mask-like marking at the anterior end. Quite a S distribution but expanding N:
April 17, 2025 at 7:30 PM
John, the tiny one probably is a Garden Spider but the others are Zilla diodia, one of our smallest araneids. You can see the very finely woven hub of the web and the distinctive, rather triangular abdomen with mask-like marking at the anterior end. Quite a S distribution but expanding N:
I would have said that was Zora spinimana with dark streaks on femora I (and II)
April 8, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I would have said that was Zora spinimana with dark streaks on femora I (and II)
Mmm, the SRS phenology chart still has a way to go to reflect this - please do keep the records coming via irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re...!
March 28, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Mmm, the SRS phenology chart still has a way to go to reflect this - please do keep the records coming via irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re...!
Here's a clip from @cofnod.org.uk's crib sheet for distinguishing the much rarer Thanatus formicinus, showing features common to juvenile as well as adult T. striatus. The five stripes on the abdomen are conspicuous too. Excellent if you've also had it from Narborough.
March 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Here's a clip from @cofnod.org.uk's crib sheet for distinguishing the much rarer Thanatus formicinus, showing features common to juvenile as well as adult T. striatus. The five stripes on the abdomen are conspicuous too. Excellent if you've also had it from Narborough.
You'll have your own new bar on the phenology chart - not the earliest ever but the first for March. Wonder whether the southern populations mature earlier...
March 26, 2025 at 7:47 PM
You'll have your own new bar on the phenology chart - not the earliest ever but the first for March. Wonder whether the southern populations mature earlier...