Two Oxon firsts from casual fencepost spidering - Walckenaeria vigilax from....a bus stop and 'what appears to be Typhochrestus simoni(!!) from a damp urban meadow. Really goes to show what an effective method it can be to meet otherwise elusive linys... @britishspiders.bsky.social

A new spider for me (assuming I'm identifying it correctly). Cryptachaea blattea (Theridiidae). Back of our house in Topsham, Devon. I've iRecorded it. @britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social

A particularly spikey Palliduphantes ericaeus from under a stone recently - unusually long and prominent leg spines. Not going to lie, I did wonder if it was something a bit more horrid...of the Nothophantes variety at first! @britishspiders.bsky.social @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social

@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @chalkspring.bsky.social Always nice to find a Walck! This female W. vigilax was the very last spider I picked up during a recent excursion; I’ve found it before but this one allowed me to photograph it properly for a change!

Master of camouflage the amazing Lichen Running Spider Philodromus margaritatus Buckfastleigh, Devon 2 found yesterday thanks @2turrell.bsky.social

A few other specialties from a slightly brighter Lizard cliffs - always nice to be in the company of a large flock of Chough. Gnaphosa occidentalis, Porrhoclubiona genevensis and Lathys stigmatisa @britishspiders.bsky.social

Even in the pouring mizzle, there's plenty of adult male Euophrys herbigrada to be found on the west Lizard cliffs at this time of year. @britishspiders.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @chalkspring.bsky.social

Not particularly scarce, but seemingly very localised. A very difficult spider to target.

Spending a bit of time checking the external brickwork whilst at a party....as one does! First time I've seen Sardinidion blackwalli in a few years, still only know it from two gardens in St Austell down here. Must be elsewhere in Cornwall! @britishspiders.bsky.social

A spider that I rarely find, probably once every two years - Hilaira excisa. This was in the company of the very similar looking Drepanotylus uncatus in the mires of Bodmin Moor. Forgot to take a habitat picture so the high moor in the pouring rain will have to suffice! @britishspiders.bsky.social

I bought some of the transparent card protector sleeves @tylanberry.bsky.social suggested for harmlessly restraining insects for photography. They work! #Arachnids #Spiders #entomology #Insects #macrophotography #macro

Took a spider from the cemetery home to ID. Turned out to be a Liny which I don't normally look at (too small). Surprised that it was straightforward to key out: female Gonatium rubellum. I put the live spider in a 'floating frame' to keep it still under the microscope and released her afterwards.

The frames are very useful

How to make a perfect 360° ant snare whilst ensuring your dangerous prey can't get anywhere near you as you rest. Handily in a sheltered nook too, away from the last 45+ days of Cornish rain! Cryptachaea blattea are amazing - the ingenuity of Theridiids knows no bounds! @britishspiders.bsky.social

Absolutely critical stuff

Finally! Drepanotylus uncatus from the mires at CWT Red Moor. This fills in the gap between Goss and Bodmin Moor nicely. I only ever see this species in the very wettest mires, normally in floating Sphagnum. It can be incredibly abundant in the right places in winter. @britishspiders.bsky.social

A very shaky phone video of what I think is Nigma walckenaeri on ivy yesterday in my local churchyard. #Arachnids #spiders #luckyme

Another interesting Liny from the dying light of Halvana Plantation of a late afternoon last week. A second Cornish site for Maro minutus. This little 1mm thing is weirdly distinctive in the tray...aided very much by a head torch!! @britishspiders.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @graemelyons.bsky.social

At the end of last year i collected a spider i was hoping to raise that all changed when this parasitic fungi took hold of it i suspect gibellula sp. Quite fasinating really. @britishspiders.bsky.social #gibellula #spider

Small, pale and interesting - Asthenargus paganus a denizen of the Spruce plantation moss floor. Couple more 🎄Welsh records to add to the UK distribution map. @britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social @chalkspring.bsky.social

A lovely photo of a sub-adult male Bridge Orbweb Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)

Happy new year to all you fellow spiderers! Didn't think I'd be seeing out 2025 with Porrhomma montanum from the deep, cold, darkness of a Bodmin Moor conifer plantation! What is this doing in Cornwall!?! @britishspiders.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @chalkspring.bsky.social

🧵A very happy New Year to all our followers and a gentle reminder that it's never too late to resolve to submit your #arachnid records to the GB #Spider, #Harvestman and #Pseudoscorpion Recording Schemes via our #iRecord form: irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-re.... #NewYearsResolution #MakeYourRecordsCount

I know I'm biased, but how can you beat Aulonia!?

Any suggestions for this @britishspiders.bsky.social please? From a kitchen cupboard, c. 5mm body length. The epigyne seems oddly protruded. Looks a bit like some of the larger linyphiids but not sure. Sorry for poor photos!

Pales in comparison to @chalkspring.bsky.social's, but here's my Spider Top 10 for 2025! I've stuck to lifers and gone for rewarding over rare. One genus will show up thrice, and I will not apologise! @britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social

@britishspiders.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @graemelyons.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @snake-spider-et-al.bsky.social Some of my favourite UK finds of 2025. Happy New Year #spiders

One that i dont pick up that often, a Nationally Scarce species. Picked up in West Sussex. Monocephalus castaneipes @britishspiders.bsky.social

Lichen Running Spider at #RSPBArne today #Spiders @britishspiders.bsky.social

Centromerus serratus picked up this week, I havent seen any since Feb this year. So now its one female and one male this year from a West Sussex site. @britishspiders.bsky.social

The seven year old in me still gets excited when I go to Bristol, whatever the nature of the visit. There's always time to stop to play with Segestria florentina! @britishspiders.bsky.social

I found this spider on the railings under the road bridge over the River Taff. Though it was sitting in its retreat, there was an orb-shaped web next to it, with a missing sector, but this doesn't look quite right for Zygiella x-notata. Thoughts please, spider people.

Yesterday's #Aractober is this epigyne. After last weekends ID session giving the Linys another go. Still working out what it is so any help would be appreciated!

Great to see Steatoda albomaculata at long last, in high numbers too. Interesting that it doesn't seem to want to move far, a bit like Asagena phalerata which it was alongside. The webs are brilliant, a typical Theridiid snare underneath very low vegetation over sand @britishspiders.bsky.social

1/2 Looking for Badumna! Over the past two weeks this Aussie has been spotted at stores from Barry, Cardiff, Brecon and Llandudno! When visiting any local store type mini garden section could you check for Badumna? The webs are easy to spot. Take a picture and add to the feed for ID help.

#Aractober. Segestria cf. bavarica (juv) from the shed door. This one decided to sprint up my jumper sleeve! Tbh it's not the first time it's happened. Think I managed to shake it out😂 @britishspiders.bsky.social

I've forgotten how satisfying it is putting similar species side by side this way! The undersides of male Zora armillata (above) and spinimana (below), with their respective palps. Nice to compare the coxae of legs4 - the "brillo pad" of hairs in Z. spinimana is clear. @britishspiders.bsky.social

Testing the new hand gel on palps from todays excursion to Sweet Briar Marshes in Norwich. Clubiona stagnatalis, Bathyphantes approximatus and a Centromerita bicolor so large I didn't think it was a linny.

I knew I Zora difference!! How ridiculoudly satisfying to see pics of all four of these species together. Clockwise from top left - armillata, spinimana, silvestris, nemoralis. @britishspiders.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @graemelyons.bsky.social @chalkspring.bsky.social @ajcann.bsky.social

No 15 and halfway ish there #Aractober it's the appropriately named 'black bummed money spider' Ostearius melanophygius @britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social

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

Another hugely important find in the world of British spiders!!

@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

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

@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social Me: I don't have a favourite UK spider Also me: 😍 #Arachtober

Another from Wicken - these appear to have the same epigyne, but I think maybe they aren't yet mature females. I'm sure @tylanberry.bsky.social told me what they were but I can't recall. I'm wondering @britishspiders.bsky.social do the Tm ratios and spines work for immature linnys?

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

No. 2 and 1 in the weirdest spider palps contest (UK chapter). Left: Labulla thoracica, right: Mastigusa arietina. Lucky enough to see both within a week, and finally photograph Mastigusa properly (thanks to @chalkspring.bsky.social) @tylanberry.bsky.social @britishspiders.bsky.social

Going through a few tubes left over from spring - East Winch in May this time. I think this must be Agyneta saxatilis, with the 'thumbs up' apophysis.