Probably Eratigena saeva

Spillway, Blagdon Lake © Nigel Milbourne 2011

Here is a list of Spiders, Harvestmen and their allies recorded at the lake. The checklist follows the order given in the checklists on the British Arachnological Society website. All records are my own unless stated, so any inaccuracy is entirely down to me. If anyone has records they’d like to include, please contact me and I will insert and acknowledge them accordingly.

The BAS-branded and much anticipated new photographic field guide to British spiders, published by Princeton University Press in the very successful WILDGuides series, is nearing completion and due for publication in March 2017. This may stimulate more recording of this seriously under-recorded group.

Annotated list of Arachnida [2026 revision]

Class Arachnida

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Family Araneidae

      • Araneus diadematus (Clerck, 1757) Garden (Cross) Spider, 21st September 2026 (N.R. Milbourne).
      • Araniella cucurbitina (Clerck, 1757) sensu lato, 26th May 2019 (R. Barnett, BDMG meet).
      • Larinioides cornutus (Clerck, 1757), 26th May 2019, 11th May 2025 (R. Barnett, BDMG meet).

Family Clubionidae

      • Clubiona brevipes Blackwall, 1841, 6th July 2004 (D.J. Gibbs).

Family Linyphiidae

      • Lepthyphantes minutus (Blackwall, 1833), 24th April 2013 (T. Cooper).
      • Tenuiphantes mengei (Kulczyński, 1887), 24th April 2013 (T. Cooper).
      • Neriene peltata (Wider, 1834), 24th April 2013 (T. Cooper).

Family Lycosidae

      • Pardosa amentata (Clerck, 1757), 24th April 2013 (T. Cooper).
      • Pardosa hortensis (Thorell, 1872), 24th April 2013 (T. Cooper).

Family Pisauridae

      • Pisaura mirabilis (Clerck, 1757) Nursery Web Spider. 5th June 2010 (R. Barnett, BDMG meet).

Family Tetragnathidae

      • Tetragnatha extensa (Linnaeus, 1758), 5th June 2010 (R. Barnett, BDMG meet).
      • Metellina mengei (Blackwall, 1869), 24th April 2013 (T. Cooper).

Family Thomisidae

      • Xysticus cristatus (Clerck, 1757), 5th June 2010 (R. Barnett, BDMG meet).

 

Order Ixodida (Ticks)

Family Ixodidae

      • Ixodes (Ixodes) ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758) Castor Bean Tick, 26th May 2019 (R. Barnett, BDMG meet).

 

Order Opiliones (Harvestmen)

Family Phalangiidae

      • Dicranopalpus ramosus (Simon, 1909), 30th October 2011 (N.R. Milbourne). Unknown.

Family Leiobunidae

      • Leiobunum rotundum (Latreille, 1798), 27th July 2011 (N.R. Milbourne). Common.

 

Key to abundance:

  • Extremely rare – five or less records
  • Very rare – twenty or less records
  • Rare – less than annual; many years between records
  • Very scarce – less than annual; typically every 2 or 3 years
  • Scarce – very small numbers virtually every year
  • Uncommon – recorded in low numbers each year
  • Fairly common – occurs in reasonable numbers
  • Common – regularly occurs in good numbers
  • Abundant – occurs in large numbers

Bibliography (sources of information)

  1. British Arachnological Society website.
  2. Roberts, M.J., Collins Field Guide: Spiders of Britain & Northern Europe. 1995. HarperCollins publishers.

Last update: 21st September 2026