Non-Native British Arachnids

Introduction

The following table provides a list of non-native spiders, harvestmen, scorpions and pseudoscorpions known to the author as having been recorded in Britain as a consequence of being introduced via various vectors. This includes those discovered within packaged fresh food such as fruit and vegetables, or the horticultural trade (e.g. garden centres), or are only known from heated biomes such as butterfly-farms, tropical houses etc. It excludes those deliberately imported or bred for the pet trade but if an individual is subsequently discovered in a free state (i.e. wandering outwith the intended enclosure), this would be included for the purposes of completeness. The list also includes taxa identified from museum specimens that have historically been recorded in Britain and the author would like to pay particular thanks to Danni Sherwood (Natural History Museum, London) and co-workers for providing me with their papers.

They typically occur as adventives (one-offs) or can only maintain populations in heated biomes such as hot houses or greenhouses. The majority of species listed below are not included in the main British list published by Lavery (2019) with the exception of those taxa whose Anthropogenic Status is marked as 'Ag' which Lavery (op. cit.) defined as those that are exclusively (or almost exclusively) in greenhouse-like structures. The list also includes those in his Lists B1 and B2; but excludes his Lists A2 and A3.

Thus, all species listed are unlikely (or cannot) survive outdoors and exclude taxa which have been introduced to Britain but are now established such as Pholcus phalangioides or Steatoda nobilis. The recent discovery of Badumna longinqua as reported in Lavery (2021) was originally included in the list below. However, Gallon (2023) reported a series of records from Nottinghamshire, Devon and Newcastle (Northumberland). It seems reasonable conclude that as of 2023, there are self-sustaining populations of this spider and it can no longer be considered an adventive; and it is therefore deleted from the list below.

It is perhaps necessary to consider what is a self-sustaining population: i.e. if a species is recorded from the same or near-vicinity for multiple years, then it would likely merit inclusion in one of Lavery (2019) appendices. 

The table has been amended from Wilson (2012) with additional references cited for taxa subsequently added. An updated article (Wilson, 2022) with full details has been published in the 153rd edition of the Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society. 

To the author's knowledge, there is no other list of such taxa maintained in Britain and it is intended that this list will be maintained on an ad hoc basis for the purposes of keeping a record. Any readers who are able to add verifiable records can contact the author: aoc [at] britishspiders.org.uk

Order: Arachnida (Spiders)

Family..............................Species
Cyrtaucheniidae.................Ancylotrypa sp.
Theraphosidae...................Cyriocosmus elegans (Simon, 1899)
.......................................Euathlus sp.
.......................................Hapalopus sp.
.......................................Phormictopus sp.
.......................................Psalmopoeus cambridgei Pocock, 1895
.......................................Tapinauchenius sp.
Macrothelidae....................Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805)
Selenopidae.......................Selenops aff. arikok Crews, 2011
Pholcidae...........................Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837
........................................Holocnemus caudatus (Dufour, 1820)
........................................Holocnemus pluchei (Scopoli, 1763)
........................................Spermophora kerinci Huber, 2005
Oonopidae.........................Diblemma donisthorpei O. P. -Cambridge, 1908
........................................Ischnothyreus velox Jackson, 1908
........................................Triaeris stenaspis Simon, 1891
Oecobiidae.........................Uroctea durandi (Latreille, 1809)
.........................................Oecobius navus Blackwall, 1859
Uloboridae..........................Uloborus plumipes Lucas 1846
.........................................Zosis geniculata (Olivier, 1789)
Nesticidae...........................Howaia mogera (Yaginuma, 1972)
Theridiidae..........................Parasteatoda tepidariorum (C.L. Koch, 1841)
.........................................Coleosoma floridanum Banks, 1900
.........................................Nesticodes rufipes (Lucas, 1846)
.........................................Steatoda paykulliana Walckenaer, 1806
.........................................Theridion trifile Simon, 1907
.........................................Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius 1775)
Agelenidae..........................Lycosoides coarctata (Dufour, 1831)
Titanoecidae........................Nurscia albofasciata (Strand, 1907)
.........................................Pandava laminata (Thorell, 1878)
Araneidae...........................Cyrtophora citricola Forsskal, 1775
Anapidae............................Pseudanapis aloha Forster, 1959
Corinnidae..........................Creugas gulosus Thorell, 1878
Salticidae............................Anasaitis milesae Logunov 2024
.........................................Bianor albomaculatus (Lucas, 1846)
.........................................Breda milvina C. L. Koch, 1846
.........................................Evarcha jucunda (Lucas, 1846)
.........................................Hasarius adansoni (Audouin, 1826)
.........................................Heliophanus apiatus Simon, 1868
.........................................Helpis occidentalis Simon, 1909
.........................................Holoplatys sp.
.........................................Hyllus plexippoides Simon, 1906
.........................................Icius hamatus (C.L. Koch, 1848)
.........................................Leptorchestes berolinensis (C.L. Koch, 1846)
.........................................Menemerus bivittatus (Dufour, 1831)
.........................................Panysinus nicholsoni (O.P. -Cambridge, 1899)
.........................................Phylaeus chrysops (Poda 1761)
.........................................Plexippus paykulli (Audouin, 1826)
.........................................Phidippus johnstoni (Peckham & Peckham, 1883)
.........................................Phintella suknama Proszynski, 1992
.........................................Phintella vittata (C.L. Koch, 1846)
.........................................Rudakius ludhianaensis (Tikader, 1974
.........................................Zygoballus rufipes Peckham & Peckham 1885
Sparassidae.........................Barylestis variatus (Pocock, 1899)
..........................................Heteropoda venatoria (Linnaeus, 1767)
..........................................Micrommata ligurina (C.L. Koch, 1845)
..........................................Olios sanctivincentii (Simon, 1897)
Zoropsidae..........................Zoropsis rufipes (Lucas, 1838)
Desidae...............................Desis martensi L. Koch, 1872
..........................................Badumna insignis (L. Koch, 1872)
Ctenidae..............................Acanthoctenus spiniger Keyserling, 1877
..........................................Phoneutria sp.
Trechaleidae.........................Cupennius getazi Simon, 1891
..........................................Cupennius coccineus F.O. Cambridge, 1901
Linyphiidae...........................Mermessus denticulatus (Banks, 1898)
...........................................Hypselistes florens (O. P. -Cambridge, 1875)

Order: Opiliones (Harvestmen)

Family..............................Species
Assamiidae..........................Boeorix manducus Thorell, 1889
Sclerosomatidae...................Leiobunum limbatum L. Koch, 1861

Order: Pseudoscorpiones (Pseudoscorpions)

Family..............................Species
Chernetidae.........................Americhernes oblongus Say, 1821
..........................................Gomphochernes perproximus Beier, 1932

Order: Scorpiones (Scorpions)

Family..............................Species
Buthidae............................Centruroides thorellii (Kraepelin, 1891
........................................Centruroides insulanus (thorell, 1876)
........................................Centruroides sp. (nigrovariatus species group)
........................................Hottentotta cf. tamulus (Fabricius, 1798)
........................................Mesobuthus sp.
Bothriuridae.......................Cercophonius squama (Gervais, 1844)

Acknowledgements

I'd like to thank Danniella Sherwood (NHM, London), Tone Killick, Alistair Lavery, Matt Prince and Geoff Oxford for providing references and comments in constructing the above list.

References

Bennet-West, A. (2022) https://www.facebook.com/groups/BritishSpiderIdentification/permalink/6240799229304780/ link; accessed on 14:11pm 13 January 2023 (Zosis geniculata)

Carr, D. (2022) A record of the jumping spider Evarcha jucunda (Lucas, 1846) from Hampstead, Middlesex (VC 21) (Araneae: Salticidae). SRS Newsletter No. 104 in Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 155: 4

Cathrine, C. and Longhorn, S.  (2017) Record of Phoneutria (Araneae: Ctenidae) from Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 39: 13 - 15

Daws, J. (2022) Leptorchestes berolinensis new to Britain. SRS Newsletter No. 104 in Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 155: 7 - 8

Deady, R. and Allen, D. (2024) A specimen of Theridion trifile Simon, 1907 imported to Britain from Kenya (Araneae: Theridiidae). Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 159: 2 - 4

Felton, C. (1992) Foreigners in Cheshire. Spider Recording Scheme Newsletter, 13: 4 (Badumna insignis) as Badumna robusta)

Gabriel, R. and Sherwood, D.  (2020) Further cases of conjoining anomaly in theraphosid spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Acta Arachnologica, 69(1): 27-30 (Hapalopus sp.)

Gallon, R. (2023) Badumna longinqua (L. Koch, 1867) an Australian spider established outside in Britain. SRS Newsletter No. 110 in Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 158: 3 - 4

Hillyard, P. (1981) Coleosoma floridanum Banks (Araneae: Theridiidae) and Boeorix manducus Thorell (Opiliones: Assamiidae): two tropical arachnids in botanical gardens. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 31: 3 - 4

Hillyard, P. (1989) In a Fish Tank in a Pet Shop in Grimsby Desis martensi L. Koch Imported Among Coral. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 55: 1 - 2

Howes, C.A. (1973) The pseudoscorpion Gomphochernes perproximus Bier [sic]. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 8: 2

Howes, C.A. (2016) International trade brings Black Widow Spiders to Doncaster. Doncaster Naturalist, 2(5): 212 - 213 (Latrodectus mactans)

Irwin, T. (2004) Philaeus chrysops (Poda, 1761) in Suffolk. SRS Newsletter No. 49 in Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 100: 9 - 10

Killick, T. (2023a) Some accidental imports reported by members of the British spider identification Facebook group. Spider Recording Scheme News, 105, Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 156: 6 - 9 (Phintella vittata) and Cupennius coccineus)

Killick, T. (2023b) https://twitter.com/Tone_Killick/status/1630652491380432906 link; ; accessed on 19:33pm 28 February 2023 (Micrommata ligurina)

Killick, T. (2023c) https://twitter.com/Tone_Killick/status/1639988640171401219 link; ; accessed on 14:52pm 26 March 2023 (Bianor albomaculatus)

Killick, T. (2023d) https://twitter.com/Tone_Killick/status/1658752579893854208 link; accessed on 09:33am 17 May 2023 (Lycosoides coarctata)

Lavery, A.  (2019) A revised checklist of the spiders of Great Britain and Ireland. Arachnology, 18(3): 196 - 213

Lavery, A. (2021) Wildlife Reports: Arachnids. British Wildlife, 33(3): 218

Logunov, D. V. (2022) John Alan Murphy (1922–2021) and his contribution to arachnology. Arachnology, 19(Special Issue): 77-103 (Breda milvina)

Logunov, D.V. (2024) Salticidae (Araneae) imported to the United Kingdom with description of a new, non-native, species of Anasaitis Bryant, 1950. Arachnology, 19(7): 1036 - 1042 (Anasaitis milesae, Hyllus plexippoides, Phintella suknana & Phintella vittata)

Logunov, D.V. and Popovici, G.  (2021) On Two New Non-Native Species of Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae and Titanoecidae) from the United Kingdom. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 152: 5 - 6 (Helpis occidentalis & Nurscia albofasciata)

Marriott, D. (2004) Micrommata ligurina (C.L. Koch, 1845) - A Mother's Day Left-Over?? Irwin, T. (2004) Philaeus chrysops (Poda, 1761) in Suffolk. SRS Newsletter No. 49 in Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 100: 14

Oxford, G. (2023) Heliophanus apiatus Simon, 1868 (Salticidae) in North Yorkshire. SRS Newsletter No. 106 in Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 157: 2

Parker, B.  (2020) A new spider species for the United Kingdom - Pandava laminata (Thorell, 1878). Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 149: 17 - 18

Pickard-Cambridge, O.  (1911) On British Arachnida noted and observed in 1909. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, 31 (for 1910): 47 – 70 (Hypselistes florens)

Poole, J. (2021) Central American Salticid Found in Dorset. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 151: 5 (Zygoballus rufipes)

Sherwood, D.  (2021) On a Theraphosid Spider Discovered as a Stowaway in Fruit from the Dominican Republic (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 150: 4 - 5 (Phormictopus sp.)

Sherwood, D.  (2022) On an adult female of Cupiennius getazi Simon, 1891 found in bananas in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom (Araneae, Trechaleidae). Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 155: 18

Sherwood, D. (2022) Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805), an occasional stowaway imported into the United Kingdom with olive trees (Araneae: Macrothelidae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 41: 135 – 136

Sherwood, D. and Gabriel, R.  (2021) On a juvenile of the genus Euathlus Ausserer, 1875 found in the United Kingdom in imported blueberries from Chile (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 38: 203 - 204

Sherwood, D. and Garcia, G.A. (2022) On a previously unreported historical stowaway selenopid originally found on Guernsey, Channel Islands (Araneae: Selenopidae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 41: 166 - 167
(Selenops aff. arikok)

Sherwood, D., Logunov, D.V and Gabriel, R. (2022) An annotated catalogue of the theraphosid spiders held in the collections of the Manchester Museum (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Arachnology, 19 (Special Issue): 209 - 219
(Psalmopoeus cambridgei) and (Tapinauchenius sp.)

Sherwood, D. and Beccaloni, J. 2023. Zoropsis rufipes (Lucas, 1838), a historical stowaway from the Canary Islands to the United Kingdom in bananas (Araneae: Zoropsidae). Serket 19(3): 258–263

Sherwood, D. and de Armas, L.F. (2023) Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) as stowaways accidentally imported into the United Kingdom. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 42: 209 - 213
(Centruroides thorellii), (Centruroides insulanus), (Centruroides sp. nigrovariatus species group), (Hottentotta cf. tamulus), (Mesobuthus sp.) and (Cercophonius squamus)

Wilson, R. (2012) An American Jumper in Leeds, West Yorkshire and an Update on Non-Native Taxa Recorded in the UK. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 123: 10 - 15

Wilson, R. (2022) Non-Native Arachnids recorded in Britain and Ireland. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 153: 6 - 8

Number of Spider Species: 66
Number of Harvestmen Species: 2
Number of Pseudoscorpion Species: 2
Number of Scorpion Species: 6

Author: Richard I. Wilson
Last Updated: 24th March 2024
Suggested citation: Wilson, R.I. [year of last update] Non-native British Arachnids in Spider and Harvestman Recording Scheme Website. https://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p/Non-Native%20British%20Arachnids. Last accessed [insert date of last access].