Survey Summary:
- FF-C and JM were kindly shown around by Eddie Oram and were able to visit a number of sites before rain brought things to a close. The sites that were visited were the garden of Marechiaro including the edge of Mill Meadow, the paddock and part of the garden of Ham Manor and Spring Wood. They saw the Mill Pond site but this wasn't surveyed as by then it was raining hard!
- FF-C and JM recorded 36 species of arachnid in total made up of 31 spider species, 4 harvestman species and 1 pseudoscorpion species. Most of these require microscopic examination to determine the species and scientific names are used as very few have English names.
- The most interesting find was the spider Cryptachea blattea which has not been previously recorded in Somerset. This small spider belongs to the family Theridiidae (the comb-footed spiders) and is native to Africa though it is now considered cosmopolitan. It is closely associated with human habitation and is often found under things like plastic garden furniture. They had searched some likely habitats at Ham Manor with no luck and the specimen found was at the bottom of the garden of Marechiaro in nettles next to the River Sheppey. Although this is a first for Somerset it was not too surprising as the species seems to be spreading and was already known from Devon and Gloucestershire.
- The largest number of arachnids found was in the paddock of Ham Manor but the diversity of species wasn't that extensive when identification was complete. There were large numbers of several species of small money spider. Unsurprisingly one of these Cnephalocotes obscurus has also been found in abundance elsewhere in “old tussocky grassland” ie the dominant habitat in the paddock. Spring Wood produced the tiny Trogulid harvestman Anelasmocephalus cambridgei . Unlike other harvestmen, which are marked by their long thin legs, the members of the family Trogulidae have short legs and secrete a sticky substance over their bodies so that it is covered in tiny soil particles making them very difficult to spot. Unlike other harvestmen they are specialist predators of small snails. Ham Manor also produced several individuals of Pachygnatha clercki. This species is normally found in damper habitats and they were wondering if there were flushes or springs here which weren't obvious during their visit.
- Proposed follow up 2020 cancelled due to ‘Covid-19’
A full list of Arachnid species attached, together with the name of the families to which they belong.
Within a family most spiders have a similar life style: the Araneidae for example all make the familiar orb web shaped like a bicycle wheel.
Within a family most spiders have a similar life style: the Araneidae for example all make the familiar orb web shaped like a bicycle wheel.
