ARACHNIDA > ARANEAE > Pisauridae

The Pisauridae family includes just three fairly large, long-legged, eight-eyed spiders with tapering abdomens.

The most common and abundant species is Pisaura mirabilis, which is known by the collective family name of the Nurseryweb Spider. They have distinctive markings and are pretty much unmistakable even though individuals can vary in colour. One of the most noticeable features in the field particularly when looking from above is the thin yellow-brown median line on the carapace that ends in a small wavy tuft of hair that protrudes forward above the eyes.

The other two species are the Dolomedes raft spiders. Mature specimens are predominantly dark brown, usually with contrasting whitish or yellow submarginal stripes on both the carapace and abdomen. The field guide advises that they cannot be reliably separated other than by microscopic examination. However, Dolomedes plantarius, known as the Fen Raft Spider, is extremely rare and is believed to only inhabit three sites in East Anglia, East Sussex and South Wales. Whilst I'm not going to be encountering that species, I am fortunate that the nationally scarce Dolomedes fimbriatus is relatively common and widespread locally on wet heathland and at a few locations where there are sphagnum bogs and pools. I had assumed that I would only find this species actually on or near standing water, but discovered that's not the case as juveniles particularly can be found in much drier habitats. In fact, all the individuals I've found so far have been in bushes a fair distance from water. My aim now is to find, and be able to photograph, a fully mature dark-coloured adult actually on the water surface.

Updated, Nov.23 (v.2)