Spiders, Harvestmen and Mites
These are part of the class of creatures known as Arachnids (Arachnidae), yet another group for which I have little real identification skills. And yet, the numbers in the list below continues to grow. As such, although I've added a question-mark to some, there may well be others that are less than certain. Perhaps the important thing in this case is that we get an idea of the sort of spiders that we have around here and what they may look like.
The list is arranged systematically following the order presented in 'Britain's Spiders' by Lawrence Bee, Geoff Oxford and Helen Smith. Note, though, that spiders are presented first, followed by harvestmen and then mites. Most of the mites have so far only been identified by the galls they have caused, in which case the link is to a photograph of the gall, not the creature. The nomenculature that I have used is also that used in 'Britain's Spiders', although in some cases I have also included an alternative.
In the list, where the genus is believed to be correct but the species may be in doubt, I have put the species name into brackets. This indicates that there is some uncertainty. Indeed in many cases absolute identification of species may only be made with the aid of a microscope.
Whereas I know that positive identification cannot often be made from photographs, I would greatly appreciate somebody with more expertise pointing out any mis-identifications or alternative possibilities.
The dates shown under the "Status" column relate to the first records I have for an area.
| Name | Species | Family | Status |
| The Spitting Spider | Scytodes thoracica | Scytodidae | Capel Road house, 09/08/2007 |
| Daddy Long-legs | Pholcus phalangiodes | Pholcidae | Capel Road garden, 15/05/2007 |
| Woodlouse Spider | Dysdera crocata | Dysderidae | Capel Road garden, 23/07/2015 |
| spider | Harpactea hombergi | Dysderidae | Capel Road garden, 09/06/2015 |
| spider | Ero aphana ? | Mimetidae | Capel Road garden, 05/04/2015 |
| Rabbit Hutch Spider | Steatoda bipunctata | Theridiidae | Capel Road house, 01/03/2007 |
| Noble False Widow | Steatoda nobilis | Theridiidae | Capel Road house, possibly on 03/10/2013; 03/06/2017 |
| spider | Enoplognatha ovata | Theridiidae | Near Alexandra Lake, Wanstead Flats, December 2011; 14/02/2012; Wanstead Park, 19/08/2012; Capel Road garden, 29/09/2013 |
| Long-jawed Orb-weaver | Tetragnatha extensa |
Tetragnathidae | City of London Cemetery, 06/05/2009; Capel Road garden, 21/05/2010; Wanstead Park, 25/04/2011 |
| an orb-weaver | Tetragnatha (montana ?) | Tetragnathidae | City of London Cemetery, 20/05/2014 |
| an orb-weaver | Tetragnatha (obtusa ?) | Tetragnathidae | City of London Cemetery, 05/03/2013; also City of London Cemetery, 09/02/2016 (Rose Stephens) |
| an orb-wraver | Metellina segmentata | Tetragnathidae | Capel Road garden, 29/09/2013; 23/02/2014 |
| an orb-weaver | Metellina merianae ? | Tetragnathidae | Capel Road garden, 07/05/2013 |
| an orb-weaver | Araneus quadratus | Araneidae | Sewage Works 01/09/2000 |
| Garden Spider | Araneus diadematus | Araneidae | Capel Road garden, 03/09/2000; Wanstead Flats, 19/09/2005; Sewage Works, 12/07/2007; Wanstead Park, 23/07/2007 |
| Furrow Spider | Larinioides cornutus | Araneidae | Wanstead Park, 23/04/2011 |
| Walnut Orb-weaver | Nuctenea umbratica | Araneidae | Capel Road garden, 02/04/2007; 11/03/2014; Wanstead Park, 02/04/2014 |
| an orb-weaver | Agalenatea redii | Araneidae | Sewage Works, 23/05/2006; Wanstead Flats, 07/06/2007; |
| an orb-weaver | Neoscona adianta | Araneidae | Wanstead Park, on the Plain, 23/07/2001; Wanstead Flats, 03/07/2010 |
| an orb-weaver | Araniella cucurbitina | Araneidae | Sewage Works; City of London Cemetery, 18/12/2006 |
| an orb-weaver | Zilla dioida | Araneidae | Capel Road garden, 14/04/2007; Capel Road garden, 29/09/2013 |
| an orb-weaver | Zygiella x-notata | Araneidae | Capel Road garden, 18/07/2011 |
| Cricket-bat Orb Weaver | Mangora acalypha | Araneidae | Capel Road garden, 02/06/2024 |
| Wasp Spider | Argiope bruennichi | Araneidae | Sewage Works on 13/08/00; Wanstead Flats south of Alexandra Lake on 08/08/04; many in 2008 |
| a wolf spider | Pardosa (monticola) | Lycosidae | Wanstead Park, 29/07/2005 |
| a wolf spider | Pardosa (agricola) | Lycosidae | Wanstead Park near Heronry Pond, 16/05/2011 |
| a wolf spider | Pardosa (proxima) | Lycosidae | Wanstead Park, 23/04/2011 |
| a wolf spider | Alopecosa (pulverulenta) | Lycosidae | Wanstead Flats, 12/05/2009 |
| a wolf spider | Alopecosa (cuneata) | Lycosidae | Wanstead Park, 11/05/2009 |
| a wolf spider | Trochosa (terricola) | Lycosidae | Sewage Works site, 02/06/2006; 20/03/2015; Wanstead Park, 21/06/2007; Wanstead Flats, 04/07/2009 |
| a wolf spider | Pirata piraticus | Lycosidae | Hollow Pond, Leyton Flats, 12/07/2013 |
| a nursery-web spider | Pisaura mirabilis | Pisauridae | Capel Rd garden, 18/07/2000; Wanstead Park, on vegetation by Shoulder of Mutton Pond, 12/07/01; Wanstead Flats, 13/07/2011 |
| a nursery-web spider | Agelena labyrinthica | Agelinidae | Wanstead Park, 27/06/2007; Wanstead Flats, 07/06/2011; Leyton Flats 08/08/2012 |
| House Spider | Tegenaria sp. | Agelinidae | Capel Road house, 14/09/2000; Wanstead Park near Temple, 05/08/2011 |
| a meshweb spider | Dictyna latens | Dictynidae | Sewage Works site, 06/06/2012 |
| a meshweb spider | Nigma walckenaeri | Dictynidae | City of London Cemetery, 03/10/2007; Capel Road garden, 29/09/2013 |
| a lace-weaver spider | Amaurobius similis | Amaurobiidae | Capel Road garden, 18/03/2015 |
| a lace-weaver spider | Amaurobius ferox | Amaurobiidae | Capel Road garden, 29/09/2013; CoL Cemetery, 14/03/2015 |
| Buzzing Spider | Anyphaena accentuata | Anyphaenidae | Capel Road garden, 30/10/2014 |
| a sac spider | Clubiona sp. | Clubionodae | City of London Cemetery, 17/07/2017 |
| a sac spider | Clubiona comta | Clubionidae | Capel Road garden, 13/06/2016 |
| a ground spider | Drassodes sp. ? | Gnaphosidae | Capel Road garden, 11/02/2016 |
| a crab spider | Philodromus dispar | Philodromidae | Capel Road garden, 10/05/2015 |
| a crab spider | Philodromus cespitum | Philodromidae | Capel Road garden, 26/04/2007; Wanstead Park, 01/05/2009; Northumberland Avenue, 27/05/2011; Bush Wood nr. Green Man rdbt. 05/06/2016 |
| a crab spider | Philodromus (albidus) | Philodromidae | Capel Road garden, 21/05/2015 |
| a crab spider | Philodromus rufus | Philodromidae | Wanstead Flats, 15/05/2016 (found and verified by David Carr) |
| a slender crab spider | Tibellus oblongus | Philodromidae | Sewage Works site, 10/03/2015; Wanstead Flat 15/05/2015 |
| a crab spider | Misumena vatia | Thomisidae | Female in Capel Road garden on 31/05/2004, Wanstead Flats, 04/06/2006; Wanstead Park, 30/05/2008; Sewage Works, 25/05/2011 |
| a crab spider | Xysticus cristatus | Thomisidae | Gilbert's Slade, 12/06/2007; Wanstead Park, 09/07/2007; Sewage Works, 12/06/2009 |
| a crab spider | Xysticus (kochi) | Thomisidae | Wanstead Flats, 11/07/2008 |
| Zebra Spider | Salticus scenicus | Salticidae | Capel Road garden 27/04/04; Wanstead Flats, 24/04/2007; City of London Cemetery, 01/03/2012 |
| a crab spider | Heliophanus cupreus | Salticidae | Capel Road garden, 25/07/2007 |
| a jumping spider | Euophrys frontalis | Salticidae | Sewage Works site, 22/03/2016 |
| a jumping spider | Pseudeuophrys lanigera | Salticidae | City of London Cemetery 01/03/2012; 05/03/2013; Capel Road garden, 24/05/2020; also Manor Park Cemetery, 29/11/2014 (Rose Stephens) |
| Downy Jumping Spider | Sitticus (Attulus) pubescens | Salticidae | Capel Road garden, 20/03/2015; common in the garden. |
| a sheet-web spider | Linyphia triangularis | Linyphiidae | Common in gardens etc., Capel Road garden, 24/08/2004 |
| a sheet-web spider | Neriene peltata ? | Linyphidae | City of London Cemetery, 29/04/2014 |
| a sheet-web spider | Megalepthyphantes sp. ? | Linyphiidae | Capel Road garden, 16/07/2013 |
| spider | Lepthyphantes minutus ? | Linyphidae | Capel Road garden, 28/11/2014 |
| spider | Walkenaeria sp. (antica/alticeps) | Linyphidae | Capel Road garden, 13/06/2016 |
| spider | Walckenaeria acuminata | Linyphidae | Capel Road garden, 13/05/2015 |
| Harvestmen | |||
| a harvestman | Paroligolophus agrestis | Phalangiidae | Capel Road garden, 08/10/2014 |
| a harvestman | Phalangium opillio | Phalangidae | Wanstead Flats 25/09/2014 |
| a harvestman | Odiellus spinosus | Phalangiidae | City of London Cemetery, 23/10/2014 |
| a harvestman | Opilio saxatilis | Phalangiidae | Wanstead Park, 23/07/2005 |
| a harvestman | Leiobunum (blackwalli ?) | Leiobunidae | Capel Road garden, 25/10/2014 |
| a harvestman | Leiobunum (rotundum ?) | Leiobunidae | Wanstead Park, 16/07/2010 |
| a harvestman | Leiobunum (vittatum ?) | Leiobunidae | By the Alders Brook, 12/07/2012 |
| Mites |
|||
| a mite | Neomolgus sp. | Bdellidae | Capel Road garden, 14/03/2014 |
| a mite | Aceria erinea | Eriophydae | as a gall on Walnut, Wanstead Park, 07/09/2007 |
| a mite | Aceria genistae | Eriophydae | as a gall on Broom, Leyton Flats, 16/07/2008 |
| a mite | Aceria ilicis | Eriophydae | as a Red Nail-gall on Holm Oak, City of London Cemetery, 16/06/2008 |
| a mite | Aceria lateannulatus | Eriophydae | as a gall on Lime, Wanstead Park, 04/07/2005 |
| a mite | Aceria macrochelus | Eriophydae | as a gall on Field Maple, Wanstead Flats, 25/08/2011 |
| a mite | Aceria macrorhynchus | Eriophydae | as a gall on Sycamore, Wanstead Park, 11/06/2010 |
| a mite | Aceria pseudoplatani | Eriophydae | as a gall on Sycamore, Wanstead Park, 10/07/2013 |
| a mite | Eriophyes exilis | Eriophydae | as a gall on Lime, in Wanstead Park, 11/06/2010 |
| a mite | Eriophylis laevis | Eriophydae | as a gall on Alder, in Wanstead Park, 01/06/2008 |
| a mite | Eriophyes tetanothorax ? | Eriophydae | as a gall on Willow, Wanstead Park, 05/06/2008 |
| a mite | Eriophylus tiliae | Eriophydae | as a nail gall on Lime, in Wanstead Park, 04/07/2005 |
| a mite | Vasates quadripedes | Eriophydae | as a Maple Bladder-gall on Silver Maple, Wanstead Park, 07/09/2007 |
| a mite | Phytoptus abnormis | Phytoptidae | as a gall on Lime, Wanstead Park, 02/11/2012 |
| a mite | Amblyseius sp. ? | Phytoseiidae | Capel Road garden, 01/03/2015 |
| a mite | Allothrombium sp. | Trombidiidae | Manor Park Cemetery 08/10/2015 |
| velvet mite | Trombidium holosericeum | Trombidiidae | Manor Park Cemetery on gravestones, 08/10/2015 |
In addition, the following species (which I have not found) have been reported by Rose Stephens of Forest Gate. I have included these records and her photographs below:
| Name | Species | Family | Status |
| Spiders | |||
| spider | Oonops pulcher | Oonopidae | Alexandra Wood, Wanstead Flats, 07/10/2014 (Rose Stephens) |
| spider | Labulla thoracica | Linyphiidae | Lorne Road garden, 01/12/2014 (Rose Stephens) |
| a crab spider | Ozyptila sp. | Thomisidae | Sewage Works, 12/03/2015 (Rose Stephens) |
| Harvestmen | |||
| a harvestman | Dicranopalpus ramosus | Leiobunidae | Lorne Road, Forest Gate, 24/10/2014 (Rose Stephens) |
During 2016 and 2017 surveys of local spiders were performed by David Carr, who has considerably more skills in this group than I do. The results - as of September 2017 - are summarised below:
ARACHNIDS
2016 total: 67
2017 current total: 85
Running total over two years: 113
Spiders
2016 total: 62
2017 current total: 77
Running total over two years: 102
A link to the full survey results, viewable as a .doc file (52kb), is available HERE