Spiders

Araniella cucurbitina (female 4-6 mm; male ~4mm) Green orb weaver Apple green abdomen with a bright red spot beneath the spinnerets, front half of the body is brown and shiny. Web is spread across a single leaf with the spider sitting in the centre. Abundant and widespread on a range of bushes and shrubs from mid-summer to autumn. Feeds on small flies and aphids. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Araneus quadratus (female 9-20 mm; male 6-8 mm) Four-spot orb weaver Female has extemely rounded abdomen with four prominent pale spots. Colour ranges from deep green to brick red. Common and widespread during the summer and autumn, particulrly on heathland. Spins web on tall vegetation such as grasses, heather and gorse. Image of male taken at Fontmell Down, near Fontmell Magna, Dorset .

Araneus mamoreus (female 5-14 mm; male 5-7 mm) Pyramid orb weaver Generally pale cream abdomen with a brown strip at the rear. A browner variety does occur, though less frequently in the UK. Found during the summer and autumn on tall grasses, gorse and lower tree branches. Widespread but local in the UK. Image taken at Fontmell Down, near Fontmell Magna, Dorset .

Neoscona adianta (female 5-7 mm; male 4-5 mm) Bordered orb weaver Distinctive spider with reddish abdomen and paired white comma shapes running central down. Some variation in colour. Found on low vegetation such as heather, grass and gorse during the summer and early autumn. Locally frequent in the south of the UK, rarer elsewhere. Image taken at Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Dorset .

Nuctenia umbratica (female 11-14 mm; male 8-9 mm) Walnut orb weaver Males and females are similarly patterned. Distinctive flattened abdomen with a dark zig-zag shaped centre and two paler stripes down the side. Primarily active during the night. The large orb-web is spun on the trunks of trees, fences, greenhouses and walls. Feeds on moths and flies. Common and widespread. Found all year in woods, gardens and orchards. Image taken at Fontmell Down, near Fontmell Magna, Dorset .

Metellina (Meta) segmentata (5-8 mm) Common orb weaver Colour varies from pale to dark brown with pale triangles near the front of the abdomen, but the carapace has a dark 'V' or 'tuning fork' shaped mark. Very bristly legs. The two sexes are equivalent sizes. The orb-web is constructed at an angle to the vegetation, with the spider lurking under a nearby leaf - it possesses a characteristic small hole at the centre. Present all year as the adult. Abundant in gardens and other habitats with low-growing vegetation. Found from spring to autumn, but more commonly in late summer. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Araneus diadematus (female 10-15 mm; male 4-8 mm) Garden spider, Cross spider White abdominal cross composed of spots is distinctive. Colour is normally brown, but can range from orange to black. Characteristic orb-web is constructed between fences and vegetation - the spider either waits in the middle or rests nearby under vegetation. Abundant and widespread in gardens, fences and hedgerows. Overwinters as eggs enclosed in silken bags placed under bark or window-sills.

Tetragnatha extensa (~10 mm) Large jawed orb-web spider Characteristic long thin abdomenand large jaws. Abdomen is pale yellwo to cream with two reddish brown stripes. Spins an angled orb-web on vegetation close to water. Found near water sources such as lakes, rivers or ditches. Image taken at Swillbrook Lake, near Minety, Wiltshire .

Enoplognatha ovata (3-6 mm) Comb-footed spider Pale brown thorax, cream abdomen with two red bands are distinctive, sometimes cross-linked and containing paired black dots. The red band may be absent or singular. A three-dimensional web is formed on low-growing vegetation, with sticky outer threads trapping aphids and small flies. Blue-green egg sac is placed inside rolled leaves for protection. Found in the summer and autumn in dense vegetation such as nettle beds. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Xysticus cristatus (female ~7 mm ; male ~5 mm) Wandering crab spider Commonest of several similar species. Present on flower heads and low vegetation or at ground level. Found from April to September in low vegetation. Image taken at Garston Wood RSPB reserve, Sixpenny Handley, Wiltshire .

Misumena vatia (female 9-12 mm; male 3-4 mm) Flower crab spider ( White death) The female can be pale green, white or yellow, sometimes with pale red or pink markings on the abdomen - can change colour from white to yellow and back. The male is much smaller. Feeds on a range of prey after ambushing them on flowers, including bees and moths. Found from May to July in flower-rich habitats such as roadside verges and herbaceous borders. Image taken at Garston Wood RSPB reserve, Sixpenny Handley, Wiltshire .

Pisaura mirabilis (10-15 mm) Nursery-web spider Colour varies from greyish to dark brown; usually light brown with a pale streak down the centre of the thorax. Abundant in dense vegetation, particularly nettles, sunbathing on the leaves. Female carries the egg cocoon in the fangs until just prior to hatching when they are attached to vegetation and a silk tent is spun over the eggcase. The young are then guarded until dispersal hence the common name. Found from May to July. Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, Salisbury .

Pardosa amentata (female 5-8 mm; male 5-7 mm) Fast, dark brownish grey spider with a pale brown stripe on the thorax. Hunts small flies and insects on the ground and in low vegetation both day and night. Black male palps are shorter than P. nigriceps. Male signals to the female by waving its palps as a ourtship ritual. The female carries the egg cocoon attached to the spinnerets. Once hatched the young ride on the mothers back for a few days. Found from April to September in sunny with available moisture such as woods, gardens, grassland. Abundant and widespread. Image taken at Garston Wood RSPB reserve, Sixpenny Handley, Wiltshire .

Agelena labyrinthica (7-12 mm) Labyrinth spider Abdomen possesses a pale stripe with dark margins and interspersed white bars. Produces a sheet-web amongst grasses and low shrubs, leading to a tubular retreat. Web is covered with a network of trip-wires. Found from July to August often on heathland. Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, Wiltshire .

Tegenaria gigantea (10-18 mm) House spider Extremely long legs and quick. Abdomen is reddish-brown with black mottled markings and pale chevrons. Legs are very hairy. Females are larger and plumper than the males, can survive for months without food or water. Found in houses (often the bath) and sheds especially in the autumn. Produces a triangular sheet web covered with trip-wires with a tubular retreat at the apex; spun in neglected corners of rooms. Abundant and widespread. Image taken at Salisbury, Wiltshire . Several similar species requiring microscopic examination. ID confirmed by Peter Harvey on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup (18th Dec'06)

Trochosa ruricola (female 9-14 mm; male 7-9 mm) Dark brown abdomen and thorax with a pale brown stripe down the centre of the thorax and first half of the abdomen. Legs are pale brown. Found all year under stones and leaf litter in generaly damp habitats. White egg sac. Widespread and common. Images are of (a) female, (b) female carrying egg sac, (c,d) male - upper and undersides. ID confirmed by Jennifer Newton on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup, 17th July'06.

Agriope bruennichi (female 10-25 mm; male 4-5 mm) Wasp spider Female has a yellow and cream abdomen with black lines, resembling a wasp. Carapace is silvery-pink. The orb-web is spun in long grass and low vegetation with a distinctive vertical stabilimentum. Localised in the south of the UK but becoming commoner. Present from mid-summer to autumn in rough damp grassland, meadows, wasteland, hedgerows and gardens. Overwinters in the brown flask-like eggcase near the females web. Image taken at Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Dorset .

Lie in wait on flowers, pouncing on the prey when it arrives. The first two pairs of legs are much longer than the others, giving rise two a crab-like manner of walking. Often well camouflaged on the flowers

Resemble spiders, but lack the ability to produce venom and silk. The body is undivided and the 2nd pair of legs is longer than the others. Mature in the late summer, giving rise to the common name. Generally nocturnal. Predate and scavenge a variety of small invertebrates; also feeding on carrion, honeydew, fungi and bird droppings. Legs can be shed to avoid capture. About 23 species are present in the UK.

Heterogenous group consisting of small globular arachnids with short legs. The ticks are parasitic with biting mouthparts - transmitting bacteria and viruses that cause infection such as Lyme disease.

Leibunum rotundum (Body - Female 6 mm; Male 3.5 mm) Male body is reddish-brown, female body is light brown with a dark rectangular spot in the centre. The 2nd pair of legs is ~58 mm. All legs are very long. Found from June to October in most habitats, particularly forest floors. Abundant, often seen resting on walls during the day. Image taken at Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Mitopus moris (Body - Female 4-8 mm; Male 5-6 mm) Colour varies but often there is a dark band on the body. The 2nd pair of legs is 30-40 mm. Found from June to October on the forest floor, but also sunbathing on low vegetation. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Ixodes ricinus (1-3 mm) Sheep tick Biting mouthparts enable blood to be sucked from mammals, reptiles and birds. Sits on vegetation waiting for passing animals. Feeds for up to 6 days. One feed of blood is required for each stage - larva (6 legs), nymph (8 legs) and adult (8 legs). Fed adult is pea sized (~10 mm). Mating occurs on the host resulting in the production of up to 2000 eggs. Image taken at Garston Wood RSPB reserve, Sixpenny Handley, Wiltshire .

Hunting spiders at the ground level or on low vegetation. Generally brown, furry and hunt prey at speed giving rise to the common name 'wolf spiders'. The males may have prominent black palps used for signalling to females. Eggsacs are carried on the spinnerets. Identification past the family requires microscopic examination of the palps and epigyne.

Dysdera crocata (10-15 mm) Beige abdomen with a chestnut carapace. Huge fangs used to hunt woodlice. Possesses six eyes. Rests during the day under stones, hunting at night. Found from May to September in gardens, woodland, hedgerows, waste ground, basically anywhere where woodlice inhabit, especially disturbed ground. Widespread and common. Image taken at Prestatyn, Denbighshire . ID confirmed by Peter Harvey on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup (17th Apr '06) - image is of a juvenile . D. erythina is smaller and localised to the south of the UK - generally found on heathland and coasts. Though inconclusive, distribution maps placed D. crocata but not D. erythina in North Wales. Images (a,b,c) adult male, (d) juvenile

Coelotes atropos (female 9-13 mm; male 7-9 mm) Stout lbrown legs and large brown carapace. Abdomen is dark brown with pale brown chevrons down the centre. Found under stones and logs in a tubular silk-lined burrow. Eggs are laid within the tube and the female remains with the juvveniles. Present in woodland, moors and mountains. Reaches maturity in spring and late summer. Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, Wiltshire .

Agalenatea redii (female 6-7 mm; male 4-5 mm) Reddish-brown abdomen with a light inverted 'V'-shape that may be broader forming mobes. Found on low vegetation such as heather and gorse often with a retreat into last years flower heads. Widespread an common in England and Wales. Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, Wiltshire . ID confirmed by Peter Harvey on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup (14th May'06)

The members of the class Arachnida generally have four pairs of legs (a few mites have fewer pairs), lack wings and antennae. The two body regions may be fused consisting of the cephalothorax and abdomen. The orders that may be encountered in the UK include - Aranae (spiders), Opiliona (harvestmen), Acarina (ticks and mites) and Scorpiones (scorpions).

The body of a spider is divided into two parts joined by the pedicel.These are the cephalothorax at the front and the abdomen behind. The carapace covers the top of the cephalothorax providing protection. There are usually 6 or eight eyes and the arrangement is often a useful identification tool. The mouthparts consist of the fangs, chelicerae (structures that hold the fangs), behind these lie the labium and maxillae. All these structures may be useful identification features. The maxillae have two appendages arising from them - the pedipalps or palps. These consist of six segments (coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia and tarsus). The male palps are modified as secodnary sexual organs, transferring sperm to the epigyne of the female; they are a great aid in the idenitification of male spiders. The underside of the abdomen has a curved transverse line near the front termed the epigastric fold. In the middle are the genital openings. In adult females this region is sclerotized into a structure called the epigyne ( see image ). At the rear of the abdomen are the three spinners that produce silk.

The eggs are contained within a silk sac that may hold many hundreds ( see image ). Within the eggs developments occur until eventualy the eggs hatch and the spiderlings emerge. Many spiderlings just wander off, however some may be communal until getting larger. Some spiderlings disperse by creating a strand of silk and allowing the air current to carry them. Moulting or ecdysis occurs to allow the spiderling to grow to the adult size.

Salticus scenicus (5-7 mm) Zebra jumping spider Unmistakeable jumping spider with black and white colouration. Found from May to August on sunny walls or bare soils. Image taken at Hordle Cliff, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire .

Heliophanus flavipes (female 5-6 mm; male 3.5-4 mm) Female is black with white legs - the legs only have black markings on the rear pair (H. cupreus has black markings on all four pairs). Found on low vegetation. Common and widespread. Image taken at Hordle Cliff, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire . ID confirmed by Martin Askins on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup (1st July'06)

Amaurobius similis (Body - Female 9-12 mm; Male 6-8 mm) Pale brown abdomen with paler and darker brown ellipses. Disitinguished from similar species by virtue of the epigyne structure. Creates a retreat in holes in walls, fences and window frames with silk extending across the entrance of the retreat. Common and widespread. Image taken at Grasmere, Lakes District, Cumbria . ID confirmed by Jennifer Newton on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup (17th July'06)

Steatoda bipunctata (female 5-7 mm; male 4-5 mm) Generally brownish-black although the shades may vary between individuals. Female has a pale line around the top of the abdomen and three pairs of 'dimples'. Male has huge palps and a pale anchor shape on the abdomen. Mainly found in or near houses, dwellings or sheds. Widespread and common. Image taken at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve, Silverdale, Lancashire . ID confirmed by Jennifer Newton on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup (17th July'06)

Segestria florentina (Body - Female 13-22 mm; Male 10-15 mm) Dark brown abdomen with central paler chevron markings. Cephalothorax is dark brown. Legs are entirely black. Female chelicerae have a green iridescence. Resides in a silken tube in holes in walls, bark etc. Fine threads radiate from the entrance acting as trip wires. Possess six eyes arranged in three groups of two. The first three pairs of legs are directed forwards. Generally found near ports at coastal sites, but spreading inland rapidly. Image taken at Salisbury, Wiltshire . Other UK species: S. senoculata and S. bavarica have a paler abdomen and pale and dark banded legs. Image confirmed by Peter Harvey, personal communication after examination of spider - female. This specimen was 25 mm long from abdomen to fangs.

Amaurobius ferox (Body - Female 11-15 mm; Male 8-10 mm) Female and male possess similar markings with a generally black abdomen with dark brown central chevrons. Legs and cephalothorax are dark brown. Found in holes in walls, fences and under stones within flocculent silken tubes, the silk extends around the entrance. Widespread. Image taken at ????? .

Steatoda grossa (female 6.5-10 mm; male 4-6 mm) False black widow spider Female abdomen is dark purplish-brown with often indisinct markings. Male is smaller with clearer crescent shapes on the front of the abdomen and whitish-cream triangles and bars further back. Generally found in houses but also in sheltered locations outside. Distributed in the southen half of the UK. Image taken at Salisbury, Wiltshire . ID confirmed by Peter Harvey on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup (18th Dec'06)

Alopecosa pulverulenta (female 6.5-10 mm; male 5-8 mm) Thick pale band on the carapace. Male has more distinct lighter section on the abdomen. Male has slight darkening on tibia I, but it is not swollen as in other species. Found on open areas of heathland, grassland and cultivated land. Abundant and widespread. Image taken at Garston Wood RSPB reserve, Sixpenny Handley, Wiltshire . Image is of a male.

Generally dull brown abdomen with mousy hairs - some species have patterns. Hunt at night, spending the day in a silk lined cell beneath stones, bark or amongst vegetation. In most cases, the female forms a silk cell for herself and the egg sac via bending a leaf to form a cavity and sealing the edges with silk.

Clubiona reclusa (Body - Female 6-9 mm; Male 5-6 mm) Abdomen is reddish-brown with a darker cardiac mark. Found amongst low vegetation and detritus in a wide range of habitats. Adult spiders are present during spring and summer. Widespread and common. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Pardosa nigriceps (female 5-7 mm; male 4-5 mm) Female has similar colouration to the female except the abdomen is larger and the yellow bands on the carapce are striking. Male palps possess dense black hairs. Found hunting on ground level and low vegetation. Mature adults are present from spring to late summer. Common and widespread. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Hampshire . ID confirmed by Peter Harvey on the britishspiders yahoo newsgroup, 16th Sept'07.