Some interesting spider records for 1999-2000
2000. The spider was seen at Norsey Wood (TQ6995) on 4 July 1999 where the renewal of coppicing
is greatly improving the woodland habitat and creating suitable conditions for this and many other
species. X. nemoralis is also occasionally found in abandoned 'brown field' habitats, where a similar
open habitat with dry litter occurs. During 1999 the author found Xerolycosa to be the most abundant
wolf spider at old railway marshalling yards at Temple Mills, and it was also present on sparsely
vegetated ground at a post-industrial site at Pitsea (TQ7387) on 7 June 2000.
Some species of spider which are reputed to be widespread and common in Britain are extremely
rare in Essex, possibly a result of the habitat degradation in the county during the last century,
brought about by loss of unimproved grasslands, heathlands and the huge increase in arable land and
isolation of ancient woodlands from nearby wildlife habitat. Some species affected may include the
crab spider Xysticus lanio, which is very rare in Essex. Ray Ruffell collected one male at Tiptree
(TL9115) on 2 June 2000 and the author collected a male at Almshouse Plain in Epping Forest
(TQ4096) on 27 June 2000. Other species which are reputedly common or widespread in Britain,
but which are unusually rare in the county, include the crab spider Ozyptila trux and the wolf spiders
Alopecosa barbipes and A. cuneata. Phil Butler collected one female of Ozyptila trux at Rainham
Marshes (TQ5181) between 29 and 31 May 1998. There are only six other records in the county,
from woodland grassland and relic heathland.
On the other hand a number of Nationally Scarce species are relatively widespread and frequent in
Essex and continue to be recorded at new sites in the county. Examples include the crab spiders
Philodromus albidus and P. praedatus, the comb-footed spider Achaearanea simulans and the orb-
web spiders Tetragnatha pinicola and Zilla diodia, all of which have proved to be remarkably
widespread and frequent in much of the county (see Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Distribution in Essex of the Nationally Scarce (Notable B) spiders. ^Philodromus
praedatus, B P. albidus, C Achaearanea simulans and D Tetragnatha pinicola
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Essex Naturalist (New Series) 18 (2001)