Is this a spider?

Forest School · #1 (**permalink**) 02-10-2011, 01:42 PM

Found this outside yesterday. Didn't know spiders had 8 legs AND 2 pincers. Can anyone help.
Bless you
Debbie

Meta menardi · #2 (**permalink**) 02-10-2011, 01:43 PM

It is an Opilione (harvestman) called Dicranopalpus ramosus. Close relative to Spiders.

Forest School · #3 (**permalink**) 02-10-2011, 02:05 PM

Brilliant
Thank You

Meta menardi · #4 (**permalink**) 02-10-2011, 09:32 PM

I really feel I should add some more. Until quite recently it was not found in this country, but it has spread from the South to the North very quickly. That was not much more, but it does give you some more things to think about.

Forest School · #5 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 06:55 PM

Thank you
Any information is gladly received. I know very little, but I love learning.
Bless you
Debbie

Gerel · #6 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 07:09 PM

I have found a few in mid-Wales for the first time this summer. Looking at the maps on NBN Gateway and the Spider and Harvestman Recording Scheme website they may be the first records for the county.

Geoff F · #7 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 08:12 PM

The 'pinchers' are actually oddly shaped pedipalps; like the palps that spiders have.

They are slightly different between males and females which makes me think that yours is a female.

Originally from Morocco, they arrived here in the 1950s, possibly a little earlier. They have become relatively common around some ports but aren't generally common here yet. I usually only see two or three a year here in the south.

Forest School · #8 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 08:16 PM

If it's not common here in South Cumbria should I be registering it somewhere?
Bless you
Debbie

Meta menardi · #9 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forest School

If it's not common here in South Cumbria should I be registering it somewhere?
Bless you
Debbie

Funnily enough, I reported it as being present in Arnside 2 years ago, I think.

Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre | Facebook

This was not quite the route I used, but if you look on that site it may help you.
I did it online, and got a nice reply, do report anything you find, even if it seems very common, especially if you have a good accurate location for it. Working with data in one of the countries largest data centre areas, there were, for example, virtually no records for moles. What is not recorded can be lost. Of course, what is recorded can also be lost, but at least it may help to preserve things in the future.