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British Arachnological Society

@britishspiders.bsky.social

2.3K followers 110 following 430 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.

britishspiders.org.uk.

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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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British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · 43m

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.

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Rory @norwichgiant.bsky.social · 3h

@britishspiders.bsky.social

Metellina segmentata?

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British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · 3h

Metellina ✅
It’s likely to be segmentata at this time of year but that isn’t 100% reliable.
Nothing visible in this photo to confirm ID to species.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 11h

Yesterday I posted a male nursery web spider, today a female. Pisuara mirabilis. These are lovely spiders and I often seem them in gardens where there is a little bit of wild space. #Arachtober

A close up of a largish brown spider with a whitish stripe along the side of the abdomen. She is resting on a leaf with a tightly woven web near her feet. This is actually part of her nursery web and was full
of spiderlings.

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British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · 7h

Replied to original post

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Lynne McNulty @linners.bsky.social · 9h

One I’m sharing my flat with .. a ‘Bridge’ spider .. ?

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British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · 7h

It looks like Missing Sector Orbweb spider (Zygiella x-notata), a very common spider that is almost ubiquitous and often around window and door frames (normally outside!)

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British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · 7h

Anywhere outside, preferably where it has somewhere to hide

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jankitty.bsky.social @jankitty.bsky.social · 21h

This isn't a great pic but any ideas what it could be? It's very pale with hardly any markings.
@britishspiders.bsky.social

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British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · 18h

It’s a sac spider (genus Clubiona). The ground spiders (genus Drassodes) can look similar but the posterior median eyes (PMEs) are much closer together

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John Boorman @johnboorman.bsky.social · 21h

Garden spiders (Araneus diadematus) can build impressive webs, at least in terms of the distance of the support lines. For the last 2 days this one has built a web where the lines go from the gutter of my kitchen roof to plants below, a distance of just over 2m. @britishspiders.bsky.social

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Lloyd Davies @lloyd9632.bsky.social · 1d

Chthonius ischnocheles with an Orbatid mite meal, in the garden in Shaftesbury. They seem to like these!

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Tegwyn @arachnoteg.bsky.social · 1d

Definitely the smallest sub/adult non money spider I've yet found. Almost passed it by but the spinnerets caught my attention. Need someone to confirm ID pls @britishspiders.bsky.social Hahnia sp. Possibly H.nava as long hairs on the abdomen? New for me. #Aractober @tylanberry.bsky.social

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British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · 1d

Possibly H. nava but images appear slightly blurred (yeah, I known it’s tiny) and so reluctant to offer an ID

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Rory @norwichgiant.bsky.social · 2d

Camouflage

@britishspiders.bsky.social #Bugsky #invertebrates #spiders

Araneus diadematus hiding in some bramble near her vast web

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Michael Jones @mixaeljones.bsky.social · 2d

Fencepost Jumping Spider… on a fence, but not jumping! 🕷️

@britishspiders.bsky.social
#Spider #Arachtober

A Fencepost Jumping Spider on a wooden fence looks towards the camera. It has hairy palps and the photographer can be seen reflected in the spider’s front two eyes

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Graeme Lyons @graemelyons.bsky.social · 2d

Mark Telfer and I only went and refound Aulonia albimana on the Isle of Wight two days ago! Quite possibly the best spider find of my life! Lots of other records too. analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2025/10/whit...

#spiders #Isleofwight #biologicalrecording #panspecieslisting

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webbyjameshere.bsky.social @webbyjameshere.bsky.social · 3d

@britishspiders.bsky.social Any ideas what this little one might be? Living on my windowsill (coincidentally amongst my spider plants) with forays onto the kitchen walls or the washing up from where I have to rescue it 🙈😄 Is it a spiderling of something bigger? Still images below. #spider

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British Arachnological Society @britishspiders.bsky.social · 3d

Unfortunately, the video and the still images don’t show details e.g. eye arrangement, habitus, abdominal pattern etc. that we’d need to narrow down the options. It’s not a spiderling but could be an immature.

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John Boorman @johnboorman.bsky.social · 3d

Garden wildlife. 1/2. A couple of Amaurobius similis on the fence last night. I thought one was a male (1st image and top one in the video in 2/2) and the other a female, but that also seems to have palps. I've been advised that that one, and with its back legs moving, is web building.

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John Boorman @johnboorman.bsky.social · 3d

Garden wildlife. Garden spider (Araneus diadematus). @britishspiders.bsky.social #londonwildlife

A spider with grey/brown patterning and white marks resembling a cross, sitting on a leaf, and with one of its back legs touching a strand of its web, and which will alert it to any prey getting trapped.

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Tegwyn @arachnoteg.bsky.social · 4d

A suprise find, plus a new species for me today #Aractober First noticed the distinctive web, exactly as described. Quick look and there they were... Badumna longinqua. Lots of webs in the Barry B&M, guessing another location for S.Wales. @britishspiders.bsky.social @sewbrec.org.uk @cofnod.org.uk

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Andrew Douglas @andydouglas1967.bsky.social · 4d

@britishspiders.bsky.social Would this be an immature Theridiosoma gemmosum? I'm staying clear of the immatures really, but I seem to recall being shown this by Ty, the shape seems rights and the huge immature palps.

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Ruth Newby @ruthnewby.bsky.social · 4d

Harvestman Odiellus spinosus hanging out in a flower pot with a snail and a woodlouse (not sure of their species)… #hatvestmen @britishspiders.bsky.social

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Andrew Douglas @andydouglas1967.bsky.social · 4d

Ero cambridgei - a new one to me and the last of the pirate spiders ticked off. New hand gel has arrived - it's so thick, I use just a dab to hold the palp in place and then cover in the glycerin/IMS - it isn't entirely invisible but better than vaseline. Some playing to be done. I have 6 bottles!

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