Summary for Pardosa agrestis (Araneae)

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National Distribution

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Identification difficulty rating: 3

Name: Pardosa agrestis

Authority: (Westring, 1861)

Order: Arachnida: Araneae

Family: Lycosidae

National Rarity status: NS

IUCN status: LC

Records: 667

First Record: 1872

Latest Record: 2022

1992-on hectads: 102

Pre-1992 hectads: 35

Total hectads: 124

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About this species

Recorded altitude range
0m to 250m

Species text

Distribution
The species is probably more or less restricted to the southern half of England, with many coastal records referable to P. purbeckensis. It is widespread in Europe. Roberts (1985) included P. purbeckensis in P. agrestis, but also stated that the most reliable method of separating P. purbeckensis is by consideration of its habitat. Locket & Millidge (1951) provide the best identification characters.

Habitat and ecology
The spider occurs mainly on sparsely vegetated clay soil, in clay pits and chalk pits, on under-cliff and dry banks above saltmarsh. In Leicestershire it has turned up in large numbers in herb-rich hay meadow and grazed marsh in the River Welland flood plain (Crocker & Daws 1996). The greatest concentration of records seems to come from the region of Oxford clay, chalk, and London clay, in southern central and eastern England. Both sexes are adult mainly between May and July, occasionally until September.

Status
P. agrestis (as recognised by Locket & Millidge 1951; Merrett & Murphy 2000) is abundant at some sites, but very local.

Threats
The loss of sites to development and the loss of open habitats to seral succession are probably the most important threats.

Management and conservation
Retain old clay pits and chalk pits and avoid their use for rubbish dumping. Scrub removal, low level grazing and small scale disturbance is likely to benefit this species by providing a continuity of areas of sparsely vegetated ground.

Text based on Dawson, I.K., Harvey, P.R., Merrett, P. & Russell-Smith, A.R. (in prep.). References

Adult Season

Adult Season Data (based on 500 records with adult season information)

Habitats

background methodology

Broad Habitat Data (based on 333 records with habitat information)

Broad subhabitat Data (based on 6 records with subhabitat information)

Structural Habitat Data (based on 372 records with structural habitat information)

Habitat Detail and Method (based on 333 records with habitat detail and method information)

Structural habitat by month

Recorded management for locations with Pardosa agrestis

Recorded substrate and hydrology for locations with Pardosa agrestis

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