The Essex Naturalist
45
Family Clubionidae
The Nationally Vulnerable (RDB2) Clubiona juvenis has been collected from
two sites in Essex, at Stanford Warren in South Essex where a number of females
were taken on two occasions in 1987 from Phragmites heads and litter in
Phragmites marsh and a single female at Old Hall Marshes on 23rd September
1995 (Harvey, 1996).
I have recently been told that several years ago Stanford Warren was
denotified as an SSSI, with one of the reasons being that the rare spiders
recorded at the site by myself in 1987 were not known to still occur. If true, I
find this an unbelievably short-sighted action. There is no doubt in my mind
that if I was to search this locality again the rare spiders would be re-found.
Crab spiders (Family Philodromidae)
The Nationally Scarce (Notable B) Philodromus albidus, Philodromus collinus and
Philodromus praedatus continue to be found in new localities. David Carr and
myself found both P. albidus and P. praedatus at Alphamstone on 8th June 1996
and all three species at Aubrey Buxton N.R. on 7th June 1997. Philodromus
albidus in particular does not seem to be as rare or localised in Essex as in other
English counties. We find the species quite commonly and often in numbers.
Elsewhere it has been reported as much scarcer and to be found only as
individual specimens. Philodromus longipalpis is a rare spider first recorded in
Britain from specimens I collected in Kent and Somerset which were identified
by the Belgium arachnologist H. Segers. Ten British specimens are now known
from widely scattered sites in southern England, including several in Essex. A
sub-male was collected at Mill Wood Pit on 12th May 1996, off oak along the
edge of the remnant wood, and this subsequently matured on 24th May. The
rare heathland spider Philodromus histrio is only known in Essex from several
Saltmarsh localities. The normal heathland colour and pattern are replaced by a
distinctive variety, perfectly camouflaged againt the background of sea purslane
and shrubby Seablite. On 12th May 1996 David Carr took a female at
Crabknowe Spit near Great Oakley in North Essex.
Jumping spiders (Family Salticidae)
A single male of the Nationally Scarce (Notable A) Salticus zebraneus was
recorded at Orsett Fen on 22nd July 1996. Like most other records of this species
in Essex, it was found on the bark of a large oak. Strangely this rare species is
more commonly recorded in the county than the other Salticus species
associated with tree trunks, Salticus cingulatus. The Nationally Scarce (Notable
A) Bianor aurocinctus seems to be widespread in open sparsely vegetated sites in
the East Thames Corridor. Further specimens were found in August and
September 1996 at West Thurrock PFA lagoons. During a visit to the
Backwarden on 19th October 1996 David Carr and myself found Neon
reticulatus in litter in relic heath and bog areas. Although previously recorded at