Esmond Brown
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chalkspring.bsky.social
Esmond Brown
@chalkspring.bsky.social
Gentleman, scholar and sometime acrobat. Foodie, chef, rugby player, birder, diplomat, drinker of fine malt whisky and gin. Your friendly neighbourhood spiderman – if your neighbourhood is The Chilterns, South Buckinghamshire or the Scottish Highlands
Reposted by Esmond Brown
Fed up with autumn leaf backgrounds yet? Let's go green.
Nigma walckenaeri.

#Arachnids #Spiders #VC55 #green #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem
November 12, 2025 at 3:08 PM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk Really happy to find this spider (another follow-up of Rowley Snazell's old Bucks records). From a site I'd visited previously, but looking at in a new way, thanks to a tip from @chizz13.bsky.social
Walckenaeria dysderoides #spiders
November 7, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Reposted by Esmond Brown
Nice to see this one, its the first time ive seen the male. From a woodland site in Sussex.
Pachygnatha listeri.
@britishspiders.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 10:45 AM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social
Lovely family holiday to Greece (Kos). I managed to find a little time to look for some local arachnids. Amazing diversity in a small place
November 3, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Esmond Brown
Great records this week, for the West Sussex site i record for a male and female Hahina pusilla, waiting on a second opinion on the male but the female is easier to ID. Good records for a scarce species.
@britishspiders.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Reposted by Esmond Brown
Really awesome to see an adult male of the rare Glyphesis servulus in Cambridgeshire recently. A right whopper at 1mm! 😁 @britishspiders.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @graemelyons.bsky.social @chalkspring.bsky.social
October 13, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by Esmond Brown
#Aractober Woodlouse spider, Dysdera crocata. An adult male. Not great palp shots. Has femora spines, garden find plus at 11mm it's not going to be D erythrina. For more ID tips visit srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p...
October 11, 2025 at 6:47 PM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social
Two spiders that I seem to find if I'm NOT looking for them:
Antistea elegans is a spider I've wanted to find on the Bucks section of the R. Chess, having years ago seen Doug Marriott's records for it on the Herts side
October 8, 2025 at 3:08 PM
October 4, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Esmond Brown
Garden wildlife. These Harvestmen (Opiliones) are quite active in the garden at night at the moment. Thanks to Esmond Brown @chalkspring.bsky.social for confirming the ID as Odiellus spinosus. @britishspiders.bsky.social #londonwildlife
October 3, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Esmond Brown
Many people are afraid of spiders. However it would be hard to be scared of this one. This is Aelurillus v-insignitus, which I found on the dune heaths in Dorset last year. A lovely little jumping spider, very charming! Thanks to @tylanberry.bsky.social for the ID! @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
September 27, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Esmond Brown
Four nice Araneus'. Two forms of Araneus marmoreus, a quadratus, and a nice dark brown diadematus. @britishspiders.bsky.social
September 20, 2025 at 8:36 PM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk
Great to run into an old friend...
Mastigusa arietina
September 20, 2025 at 10:13 AM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social Waterside Long-jawed Orb Weavers aren't usually easy to identify in situ. There is one exception: with the extremely wide spacing between its anterior and posterior lateral eyes, Tetragnatha striata is unique amongst the UK species in this genus
August 27, 2025 at 6:10 PM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social I didn't manage a trip up on the Cairngorms plateau, but found some good spiders closer to sea level - Raft Spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus), at last, Northern Bear (Arctosa cinerea), Pardosa agricola, Bolyphantes
August 15, 2025 at 3:24 PM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social A good start to my Scotland trip, but the weather forecast doesn't look promising.
Clubiona subsultans, Dipoena torva (not shown), Cryphoeca silvicola, and a decent supporting cast
August 6, 2025 at 8:33 AM
@britishdragonflies.bsky.social @bucksinvertgroup.bsky.social You've got to admire ants. No opponent is too big to challenge #hymenoptera #odonata
August 2, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Even the best predators sometimes miss their catch. This Tube Web Spider (Segestria florentina) isn't going hungry, though – a prime position under this lamp means plenty of nighttime visitors @britishspiders.bsky.social #spiders #ukspiders
July 31, 2025 at 5:11 PM
@britishspiders.bsky.social Not difficult to find in neighbouring Middlesex and Surrey, but only the second time I've found Alopecosa cuneata in Bucks #spiders
May 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social A pleasure to show @cofnod.org.uk Richard Gallon around a couple of sites in the shire. Sadly no obvious sign of Midia midas, but Walckenaeria corniculans and Mastigusa arietina made sure he didin't leave empty handed
April 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
@britishspiders.bsky.social Always great to see a spider I've never seen before and really lucky that there's a thriving colony of these not too far from my home. A truly stunning species. Thanks to @snake-spider-et-al.bsky.social for pointing me in the right direction
Aelurrilus v-insignitus
April 20, 2025 at 10:59 AM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @bucksinvertgroup.bsky.social Just one cornetto, maybe, but how many corniculans am I allowed? Walckenaeria corniculans is on Section 41, species of principal importance list, but appears to be doing very well in Buckinghamshire woodland
April 4, 2025 at 11:57 AM
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social An adult female from a very healthy looking population of Thyreostenius biovatus living in a nest of Formica rufa (Southern Wood Ant), in South Buckinghamshire. No males present - they seem to only appear at the end of Spring
March 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
It's never a bad day when this spider is in your viewfinder
Araniella displicata
@britishspiders.bsky.social @bucksinvertgroup.bsky.social
#spiders
March 5, 2025 at 12:16 PM