Summary details for Episinus truncatus Latreille, 1809

Species Details

Species name: Episinus truncatus Latreille, 1809
Synonym: Episinus lugubris Simon, 1873
Taxonomy: Animalia :: Araneae :: Theridiidae
habitat: tall sward & scrub

Distribution

The species has been recorded from southern Britain between Cornwall and Kent, and also in Glamorgan and Caernarvonshire in Wales. E. truncatus is widespread in Europe.

Habitat and ecology

This species has been recorded from lowland heathland and maritime grassland. This species spins a simple web beneath the heather. It has also been found beneath mats of rock-rose in Wales on coastal grassland (Alexander and Fowles 1996) and from amongst grass tussocks on the Lizard, Cornwall (Smithers 1998). Adults have been recorded from May to September.

Status

Although recorded from 30 hectads since 1992, this species shows an apparent decline of 40% in hectads with spider records both before and after that date (40 to 24). However, southern heathland is known to be under-recorded for spiders recently.

Threats

The loss of heathlands and maritime grasslands to agriculture or forestry. Erosion of habitat due to public pressure.

Management and conservation

Heathlands should be managed to maintain a mosaic of age classes. Text based on Dawson, I.K., Harvey, P.R., Merrett, P. & Russell-Smith, A.R. (in prep.).

Stats

First recorded: 1922
Last recorded: 2025
Total records: 432
Total visits: 414

Conservation status

Episinus truncatus

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 loss of heathlands and maritime grasslands to agriculture or forestry. Erosion of habitat due to public pressure.

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.