The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

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SteveMcBill
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The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Post by SteveMcBill »

Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

The distinctive Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides) appeared in Widnes (Paul Hillyer pers. comm.) a few years ago but currently rECOrd holds very few records of this synanthropic species on its database. Surely the spider MUST be more widespread in houses and outbuildings than currently seems to be the case according to the held data. If anyone has records of this long-legged spider or sees it during the coming months I and rECOrd would be very interested to hear about it.

Many thanks

Steve J. McWilliam


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peterharvey
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Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:27 pm

Re: The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Post by peterharvey »

Please remember that there is a national recording scheme for spiders and that all records for 'easily recognisable' species and reliably identified spiders for other species backed up by voucher specimens should ideally be incorporated into the recording scheme.

The aims of the recording scheme and its phase 2 efforts to record detailed ecology and phenology of every British spider are available from the British Arachnological Society website http://www.britishspiders.org.uk/html/b ... =recording
rachelhacking
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Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am

Re: The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Post by rachelhacking »

Hiya,

Having dipped a toe now and then into Spider recording, I am surprised to learn that there are few records in Cheshire for Pholcus phalangioides. I have lived with this Spider for years in Marple and find it elegant and fascinating to watch (unlike those Tegenaria ones - can't be in the same room!). At the moment I have families of this species in nearly every room - the young appear ethereal. I don't remove cobwebs from my walls (unless they are obviously very old and empty) because often these Spiders are difficult to spot. Plus they are great predators.

I'll submit my records to RODIS of this species.

All the best,

Rachel

P.S. I'll also submit my records to the national recording scheme as per Peter Harvey
SteveMcBill
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Re: The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Post by SteveMcBill »

Currently, 20th December 2008, there are 50 records of Pholcus phalangioides on the rECOrd database BUT many of these (over half ?) are from my holiday visits to South Wales.

There must surely be more records for the Cheshire region (Cheshire (Crewe & Nantwich, Congleton, Macclesfield and Vale Royal), Halton, Warrington, Wirral and Stockport) as this spider is found in Lancashire and must have crossed Cheshire to get there.

Very good to hear of it being in your house in Marple, Rachel - perhaps you could ask friends and neighbours in the vicinity to try and obtain accurately grid ref placed records within the wider Marple area ?? Just a thought !

Anybody else in other parts of Cheshire like to admit to having this synergistic visitor in their homes ? If we have any decorators or kitchen fitters reading this perhaps they have seen this spider when in other peoples homes undertaking their work and could provide useful records for the database ??

Cheers and 'keep on recording' (sorry just watched the final to 'Strictly' ).

Steve :)
anno
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Re: The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Post by anno »

Stevo - our house is currently over run with Pholcus - they are everywhere!

This one seems to be consuming other spiders too;

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from what I've read one of the few Brits to let the Male get away with it!! :)
SteveMcBill
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Re: The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Post by SteveMcBill »

Don't forget to put the record of the Pholcus phalangiodes (Cobweb Spiders) into RODIS mate !!!

Cheers

Steve :)
bankst
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Re: The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Post by bankst »

Anno and I spotted a few of these spiders earlier in the year in the salubrious surroundings of the toilet / shower block here at Picow Farm Depot in Runcorn. There were several females with egg sacs and I'm delighted to report 32 new additions to the Pholcus family!(Hope no-one saw me taking a camera into the bogs!)

Tom.
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anno
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Re: The Cobweb Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Post by anno »

or, indeed, me going in with him...
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