Summary details for Coleosoma floridanum

Coleosoma floridanum Banks, 1900 Status: Introduced/synanthropic. This species seems to be following a similar pattern to other spiders of tropical origin, such as Achaearanea tepidariorum, which have been carried around the world with exotic plants and which have become established in heated greenhouses in cooler climates. Distribution: C. floridanum was first recorded in Britain from glasshouses at Kew in September 1966 by D.J. Clark (Spoczynska 1969). It was also recorded by M. Judson from Cambridge Botanic Gardens in the tropical house (Hillyard 1981) and from the Rutland Water Butterfly Centre, Leicestershire in October 1999 (Crocker & Daws 2001). A male was found indoors in Bedfordshire during 1997 (I. Dawson, pers. comm.). The species has a worldwide Distribution: and is considered to have originated in the American Tropics by some authors. Habitat and ecology: In Florida this species is not always associated with man and occurs amongst leaf litter, under bark and stones. In Britain it is confined to glasshouses that maintain tropical temperatures between 12 and 30 ºC with a high humidity, where it can thrive in large numbers. Is usually found on vegetation either in small webs or just clinging to the underside of leaves, with the males being great wanderers. The spider's habit of climbing to vegetation when disturbed greatly facilitates its worldwide Distribution: with cargo (Levi 1959; 1967). The species has been fully described and figured from Leicestershire specimens by Dr M. Roberts in Crocker & Daws (2001). Author of profile: J. Daws 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.