Summary details for Donacochara speciosa (Thorell, 1875)

Species Details

Species name: Donacochara speciosa (Thorell, 1875)
Synonym: Donacochara leptocarpa (Thorell)
Taxonomy: Animalia :: Araneae :: Linyphiidae
habitat: acid & sedge peats

Distribution

The species is mostly confined to eastern England between Kent and Norfolk, but there are also records from Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Staffordshire, East Yorkshire, Hampshire and Buckinghamshire. It is widespread in northern and central Europe, but uncommon.

Habitat and ecology

D. speciosa is found in very wet places in fens and marshes, and in sewage beds, probably mainly in reed-beds. It may be adult for most of the year.

Status

Although there are records from a total of 30 hectads it has been recorded from just 10 to 12 hectads since 1992, though it may be frequent where it occurs

Threats

The drainage of fens and marshes.

Management and conservation

Maintain water table of fens and marshes, and restrict scrub growth. Text based on Dawson, I.K., Harvey, P.R., Merrett, P. & Russell-Smith, A.R. (in prep.).

Stats

First recorded: 1936
Last recorded: 2025
Total records: 256
Total visits: 238

Conservation status

Donacochara speciosa

Source	Reporting category	Designation	Date designated	Comments
A Review of the scarce and threatened spiders (Araneae) of Great Britain: Species Status No. 22 (Sep 2017)	Rare and scarce species	Nationally Scarce. Includes Red Listed taxa	01/09/2017
A Review of the scarce and threatened spiders (Araneae) of Great Britain: Species Status No. 22 (Sep 2017)	Red listing based on 2001 IUCN guidelines	Least concern	01/09/2017	Threats: The drainage of fens and marshes.

Photos and media

Spatial distribution - hectad map

Click on one of the date ranges in the key to highlight that particular range. Click anywhere else on the map to go back to all three date ranges.

Thresholds:

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Rejected records are excluded from this map. Unverified records are included.

Temporal distribution - records by year

Records that span more than one year are not included in this chart.