Salticidae

Jumping spiders (3)

ARACHNIDA > ARANEAE > Salticidae (continued)

Evarcha falcata is a relatively common woodland species which, not surprisingly, is known as the Woodland Jumping Spider. It is a distinctive species with the female having a dark, sometimes almost black, head area with a metallic sheen and the thoracic region of the carapace covered with brown hairs. The male is similar, but with the addition of a broad band of paler hairs on either side. The palps of mature males are pale. The female has a greyish-brown abdomen with paler sides and occasionally some vague black markings. The males have a broad greyish-brown median band edged with black, and then with the whole abdomen being circled by a conspicuous band of white hairs. The front legs of the male have darkened femora.

Evarcha arcuata is a nationally scarce species typically found damp or boggy areas of otherwise dry heathland, not woodland. Females are described as having a brown carapace with a darker head area with metallic sheen, much like Evarcha falcata. The abdomen is normally dark, giving the whole spider a metallic appearance. Personally, I think that the female featured below photographed in Garston Wood is Evarcha falcata, but one of the leading authorities on the FB Spider Identification Group was quite adamant that, in his opinion, it was a classic example of Evarcha arcuata. Another one of the 'group experts' disagreed!

Putting aside all of the rarer species, I can only see three other jumping spiders that are likely to be found locally; Euophrys frontalis (closely related to Pseudeuophrys lanigera), Talavera aequipes (an uncommon regional spider) and Neon reticulatus (a tiny species found either in woodland leaf-litter or amongst moss in bogs and marshes). However, when I look at the distribution maps for the nationally scarce species, I find that quite a few occur in my general area so I need to keep my eyes peeled particularly on heathland and at some coastal locations as they seem to be good habitats for a few of these rarer varieties. One I'm definitely going to try to find is the Ant-mimic Jumping Spider, Myrmarachne formicaria, which has been recorded from a site in the New Forest.