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Spiders Of Windsor

Thanks for the info, 'sprout. I just did a web search on them, but all the pages I found were American. Are these little beasties common in UK/ Europe, do you know?
 
Some info on the Hummingbird Hawkmoth:

Many people who have watched this insect hovering in front of a flower as it feeds on nectar, mistakenly believe that they have seen a hummingbird in Britain. The moth unrolls a long tongue which it uses, as a hummingbird uses its beak, to suck nectar from flowers.

Hummingbird hawkmoths, which are about 1 and a half in long and brown and orange in colour, migrate from southern Europe, often flying as far as 100 miles in a day, and arriving from June onwards. Some arrive every year in the south of England, but rarely survive the winter. In good years they spread throughout the British Isles and sometimes they breed here, in which case the caterpillars breed on bedstraw. The new generation of moths either migrates back to Europe or dies in the winter. Eggs are laid on lady's bedstraw and similar plants in July and August. Hummingbird hawkmoths frequent parks and gardens well-stocked with flowers. In some years they are plentiful; in others rare.

[Drive Publications, 1973, Book of the British Countryside]

I've only seen one once, in my back garden in northerm Sheffield, S.Yorks
 
I', not sure what they are either, but I have seen them feeding from flowers in Northern Italy (shores of Lake Garda, to be exact) so it seems likely they are a southern european species
 
Not a new species....

It's all horribly quiet over at the Project Ark website, and has been so for some time, but I heard somewhere that the spiders had been identified as a cave spider of the Meta species (probably Meta Bourneti).

Certainly the photos I've found of this species seem to look very like the Windsor Spiders, and there's a paper recording the discovery of this species in Suffolk, which would seem to indicate that there are probably a lot of them around in Britain.
 
:eek!!!!:
Well after all that it does appear that they are just cave spiders ... thats all right then.

Hang on a bloody minute!

Even if they are a known and relativley common species, and you can call me paranoid if you like, but I grew up with teachers and parents and people I like trusted, telling me that you do not get poisonous spiders etc in this country. It's only Adders that are poisonous I was told.

What's next "Oh yes watch out for brown scorpions in York and death worms on the beach at Skegness. Sorry did we not mention them?"

Or are they not poisonous after all?

Is it me?

:confused:

PS Nice to get back to the message board by the way and hello everybody.
 
They're all poisonous, just a matter of size of spider and thus dosage of nasty stuff. Not fond of the idea of poisonous, sub-terranean spiders...it would be spiders ! Why couldn't it be snakes? How about a nice scorpion? I mean...SPIDERS !!:eek:
 
looking at the picture on the link posted originally, does anyone else think the spider shown appears to have a smiley face on the back of its abdomen?
 
What do you mean Homer: "Brown scorpions in York"!!!!

I thought that the only scorpions in the wild in the UK, were found at Ongar Underground Station in Essex!!!!!

Don't tell me we've got even more of the little buggers running about the countryside!!!!!!:eek!!!!:
 
rynner said:
I was in Falmouth this afternoon, in unseasonally warm weather. At the entrance to one of the pubs on the quay: there are flowers of some sort growing up both sides of the door, and something was moving there. At first I thought it was a small humming bird (which aren't native round here!) but looking closer it seemed to be some kind of moth. Its wings were just a blur as it hovered at each flower and inserted a long proboscis into it. I've certainly never seen the like in this country before, but then I'm not a great naturalist. The docks were close by, so I did wonder if it might be something exotic which had stowed away on a ship. (I've often encountered small birds and insects well out to sea.)
I just hope the pesky gulls let it alone, the bastards.

Any idea what it was?

A hummingbird hawkmoth , they aren't at all rare and are amazing to watch . They do look like tiny hummingbirds when you first see one . I don't know if they breed here though .
Marion
 
Relax David!

I was just making up possible examples of the sort of potential nightmares that life seems to throw up in a twilght zone kind of way.

There are no scorpians in York, unless you know otherwise! Not sure about the Skegness death worms though... only kidding.

And I know all spiders are poisonous and it is a matter of proportions etc but I had always been led to believe that the proportions with regard to spiders in this country meant that the little buggers COULD NOT penertrate human skin. ie: Not bite me! I thought the only poisonous thing that could actually bite anyone in this country was an adder!

If this is not true it make a mokery of everyone who looks on at people who are scared of spiders saying "It can't hurt you, you know, it's harmless"

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's okay I've found my medication now.

Does anyone know any actual facts about these spiders at all?
Untill then I'm wearing my stomping boots and carrying a big stick.:eek!!!!:
 
What was that film where spiders took over the world?:eek!!!!:
 
Was it 'The Spiders Who Took Over the World"?

Sorry no idea...:D

Homer
 
What became of this, did it ever get resolved. I'm asking because years ago I came across a big orangey brown spider about the size of a very big (but not really huge) house spider, thick body and legs by comparison, with big big mandibles like, I remember thinking at the time, rose thorns. when I went to pick it up, wearing only Marigolds (because like someone else on this thread said I was told that British spiders are far too civilised and decent to go round biting people) it flicked it's abdomen down reared up its front parts and threatened with it's pincers, rather than trying to run away, it made an audible click as it did this. Some years later I retold this story to my friend at work who then told me he'd met the same type of spider, here in Swansea but that he'd been bitten on the ankle resulting in pain and swelling.
 
Sounds like a description of the infamous "Camel Spider". (Just use your usual search engine......) Brrrr, not something I want to encounter!
 
The behaviour and appearance, although not the size, sounds like some of our more aggressive spiders. Not a Funnel-Web (although, if it were a small one, the venom may not have been enough to kill), but maybe a mouse spider or a trapdoor? (Not sure about the colouration, but plausible.)

Then again, in terms of spider behaviour the rearing may be more common for spiders defending themselves.

I would expect it not to be a camel spider, particularly as they don't match the colouring, or the behaviour.
 
False widows are doing very well in the UK at the moment, so I'd be hesitant to approach any unknown spider - we can no longer assume that any spider you encounter is harmless in this country:

http://www.uksafari.com/falsewidows.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7573530.stm

Related, but slightly OT, I'm trying to arrange a night time visit to Sheerness docks with a black light, to see the yellow-tailed scorpions that live there. Will hopefully post a link with pics to this message board afterwards.
 
I've been in contact with BT...

...And it turns out that this is true. I spoke initially to one Paul Durrell in the press office (08457 262624) and he confirmed it was true and put me onto the London office (020 7356 5369). I spoke to someone there (name unknown) who also confirmed the story was true and promised to get back to me with the name of someone who could tell me more. Apparently it's now considered to be an old story by the BT PR people.

MarkR


I feel compelled to follow up my post from 2001 and confirm that the unnamed PR person from BT's London office never did get back to me.

I'm still waiting 17 years later and I'll let you all know if he ever does get back to me...
 
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What became of this, did it ever get resolved. I'm asking because years ago I came across a big orangey brown spider about the size of a very big (but not really huge) house spider, thick body and legs by comparison, with big big mandibles like, I remember thinking at the time, rose thorns. when I went to pick it up, wearing only Marigolds (because like someone else on this thread said I was told that British spiders are far too civilised and decent to go round biting people) it flicked it's abdomen down reared up its front parts and threatened with it's pincers, rather than trying to run away, it made an audible click as it did this. Some years later I retold this story to my friend at work who then told me he'd met the same type of spider, here in Swansea but that he'd been bitten on the ankle resulting in pain and swelling.


The only references to spiders making a noise that I have heard are of tarantulas which can make a quiet chirping or purring sound. I've not heard this in connection with any British species. I know this post is eight years old and that you encountered the spider many years before that but I wondered if you had come to any conclusions since then.
From the description, I thought of Dysdera crocata, Atypus affinis or Eresus niger but the last of these is extremely rare in the UK and was considered extinct for many years. It's also a heathland species so not likely to be your spider.

It's also true about some species of Camel Spider being able to make a rattling noise with their mandibles. Do you think it was one of those?
Dysdera -
DysderacrocataIMG_1504.jpg
Atypus -
obr_A_Atypus_affinis_111115.jpg
Eresus -
1d61190b3f844d8d7bda1e1e9e8e4fa1--nature-the-ojays.jpg
Camel Spider -
8215261506_a2aa7fa722_z.jpg
 
Eresus niger
Wow. I'm in the middle of a surprising transition from confirmed arachnophobe to actually wanting to acquire a tarantula (Brachypelma emilia looks like a good bet out of the ones available locally...). I still struggle with true spiders, though, but Eresus there is quite stunning.
 
I'm asking because years ago I came across a big orangey brown spider about the size of a very big (but not really huge) house spider, thick body and legs by comparison, with big big mandibles like, I remember thinking at the time, rose thorns. when I went to pick it up, wearing only Marigolds (because like someone else on this thread said I was told that British spiders are far too civilised and decent to go round biting people) it flicked it's abdomen down reared up its front parts and threatened with it's pincers, rather than trying to run away, it made an audible click as it did this.

The only references to spiders making a noise that I have heard are of tarantulas which can make a quiet chirping or purring sound. I've not heard this in connection with any British species.

In September this year I discovered that one of the British orb weaver species can make a buzzing noise when harassed. It was either a dark coloured cross spider (Araneus diadematus) or a walnut orb weaver (Nuctenea umbratica).

By "harassed" here I mean that I was in the process of catching him (I think it was a male) to eject from the house. I caught one of his legs with the glass I was using to capture him and he really didn't like it. I have noticed that members of one or both of these species come inside when the weather starts to deteriorate.

( Apologies for my poor recognition skills. I know that a spider expert could easily tell them apart but I find it really difficult to tell the difference between a dark/brown coloured A. diadematus and a N. umbratica, especially the males (or the ones I think are male). )
 
In September this year I discovered that one of the British orb weaver species can make a buzzing noise when harassed. It was either a dark coloured cross spider (Araneus diadematus) or a walnut orb weaver (Nuctenea umbratica).

Yes, you're right. I've been looking into this and there is a reference to stridulation in my book on British spiders but that's in the glossary so I'd have to read the whole book to find out which species it refers to.
I found a Walnut Orb Weaver under a flap of bark on a Laburnum tree once, what a beast.
 
Wow. I'm in the middle of a surprising transition from confirmed arachnophobe to actually wanting to acquire a tarantula (Brachypelma emilia looks like a good bet out of the ones available locally...).

I thought that was the case because you have posted a few links in the past which suggest you're researching these things. I think you'll be fine once you've got one.
 
I thought that was the case because you have posted a few links in the past which suggest you're researching these things. I think you'll be fine once you've got one.
My younger daughter is cheering me on, my wife will tolerate it on my behalf - it's my elder daughter we've got to persuade. Well, her and our new landlord... Actually, the other big obstacle is the widespread use of anti-mosquito chemicals: I'm not sure how well we'd be able to keep any tarantula safe from exposure when nearby properties are being treated: it's hardly a precise procedure...

Perhaps we need to start an Arachnophilia thread. :spider:
 
In Australia they love spiders, partly because they keep snake numbers down, and partly because they can be trained to make great self-moving coffee tables. When I was in Northern Australia I saw a group of three acid spitting homicide spiders eating a live Koala, but that was okay because the plummeting Koala hit a croc that was moving in to grab a Latvian tourist. Those spiders saved that tourist's life. Contrary to what most people think, most Australians are getting along well with the spiders since the treaty and the amnesty was signed. There is a good chance that they will get a spider candidate elected before long, as many are more popular than the current crop of politicians.
 
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