Summary for Pisaura mirabilis (Araneae)

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National Distribution

 
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nursery web spider Copyright: Mike Johnson
Identification difficulty rating: 2
Name: Pisaura mirabilis
Authority: (Clerck, 1757)
Order: Arachnida: Araneae
Family: Pisauridae
IUCN status: LC

Records: 14731
First Record: 1861
Latest Record: 2024

1992-on hectads: 1204
Pre-1992 hectads: 637
Total hectads: 1319

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About this species

Recorded altitude range
-4m to 609m

Species text

Distribution
The species is widespread in the southern half of Britain, but with a scattered and patchy distribution in the north as far as central Scotland. It is widespread in western and central Europe as far north as southern Norway.

Habitat and ecology
The species is found in a wide variety of habitats. Adults tend to occur in reasonably tall vegetation in habitats such as rough grassland, woodland rides, field edges, heathland, gardens and marsh edges. The species is easily recognised even in early immature stages. It is extremely variable in colour, much of which appears to be genetically determined. As the spider commonly sits out on leaves, this visible polymorphism may be maintained by the action of predators (G. Oxford, pers. comm.). Adults of both sexes are found mainly between May and July. The male catches a fly or other prey item as a courtship 'gift' for the female during mating. The female carries the egg-cocoon in her chelicerae until the eggs are about to hatch, when she constructs a tent-like web in tall herbage in which young remain until they disperse. Apparently this maternal care is not very successful against ichneumons (Bristowe 1958).

Status
Common in the south, but becoming more infrequent in the north.

Original author of profile: P.R. Harvey

Text based on Harvey, P.R., Nellist, D.R. & Telfer, M.G. (eds) 2002. Provisional atlas of British spiders (Arachnida, Araneae), Volumes 1 & 2. Huntingdon: Biological Records Centre.  References

Adult Season

Adult Season Data (based on 2805 records with adult season information)


Habitats

background methodology

Broad Habitat Data (based on 5190 records with habitat information)

Broad subhabitat Data (based on 820 records with subhabitat information)

Structural Habitat Data (based on 2438 records with structural habitat information)

Habitat Detail and Method (based on 3496 records with habitat detail and method information)

Recorded management for locations with Pisaura mirabilis

Recorded substrate and hydrology for locations with Pisaura mirabilis

Images

Pisaura mirabilis egg sac2
Pisaura mirabilis egg sac2
Pisaura mirabilis egg sac
Pisaura mirabilis egg sac
Pisaura mirabilis Rose Hill
Pisaura mirabilis Rose Hill
Pisaura mirabilis early record 2
Pisaura mirabilis early record 2
Pisaura mirabilis early record 1
Pisaura mirabilis early record 1
Pisaura mirabilis Gamlingay Cemetery
Pisaura mirabilis Gamlingay Cemetery
Nursery web spider basking on hop 02.09.18
Nursery web spider basking on hop 02.09.18
Pisaura mirabilis Edmund's Green
Pisaura mirabilis Edmund's Green
Pisaura mirabilis female Dawlish 3
Pisaura mirabilis female Dawlish 3
Pisaura mirabilis female Dawlish 2
Pisaura mirabilis female Dawlish 2
Pisaura mirabilis female Dawlish 1
Pisaura mirabilis female Dawlish 1
Pisaura mirabilis 6 legs and an egg sac 3
Pisaura mirabilis 6 legs and an egg sac 3
Pisaura mirabilis 6 legs and an egg sac 2
Pisaura mirabilis 6 legs and an egg sac 2
Pisaura mirabilis 6 legs and an egg sac 1
Pisaura mirabilis 6 legs and an egg sac 1
Nursery-web spider
Nursery-web spider
P.mirabilis face on
P.mirabilis face on
P.mirabilis Grey
P.mirabilis Grey
P.mirabilis
P.mirabilis
Pisaura mirabilis variety
Pisaura mirabilis variety
Pisaura mirabilis var
Pisaura mirabilis var
Pisaura mirabilis nursery web
Pisaura mirabilis nursery web
Pisaura mirabilis guarding nursery web
Pisaura mirabilis guarding nursery web
Nursery Web Spider and nest
Nursery Web Spider and nest
Spider in my Coldframe
Spider in my Coldframe
Pisaura mirabilis Cornwall
Pisaura mirabilis Cornwall
Pisaura mirabilis NOT Pardosa bifasciata
Pisaura mirabilis NOT Pardosa bifasciata
Pisaura mirabilis with web and egg sac
Pisaura mirabilis with web and egg sac
Pisaura mirabilis Specimen 3
Pisaura mirabilis Specimen 3
Pisaura mirabilis Specimen 2
Pisaura mirabilis Specimen 2
Pisaura mirabilis Specimen 1
Pisaura mirabilis Specimen 1
Pisaura mirabilis in garden
Pisaura mirabilis in garden
Identification-2
Identification-2
Pisaura Mirabilis with egg sac.
Pisaura Mirabilis with egg sac.
Nursery Web Spider with egg case
Nursery Web Spider with egg case
Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
Pisaura mirabilis well marked female
Pisaura mirabilis well marked female
Pisaura mirabilis carrying Egg Sac
Pisaura mirabilis carrying Egg Sac
Pisaura mirabilis 2
Pisaura mirabilis 2
Pisaura mirabilis protecting its brood
Pisaura mirabilis protecting its brood
Pisaura mirabilis on plastic rocking horse with nursery
Pisaura mirabilis on plastic rocking horse with nursery
Pisaura mirabilis with eggsac
Pisaura mirabilis with eggsac
nursery web spider
nursery web spider
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