Summary details for Erigone promiscua (O.P.-Cambridge, 1872)

Distribution

E. promiscua is widespread in northern Britain and parts of the west and south. However, it is absent from large parts of central and eastern England. In western and central Europe it has been recorded from Ireland, France, Belgium, Norway, Germany and the Iberian Peninsula.

Habitat and ecology

This spider is found in the ground layer and has been recorded from heathland, blanket bog, machair, grasslands and shingle, ranging from coastal sand dunes to grassland at 600 m in Lancashire (J. Newton, pers. comm.) and at 634 m in webs on Sphagnum by a pool in the Applecross mountains, Wester Ross (I. Dawson, pers. comm.). Colouration and genitalia are very similar to E. dentipalpis and E. atra and the species needs to be carefully identified with a microscope. Adults are mature in the summer and possibly all year.

Status

This species is much less common than E. atra and E. dentipalpis, which it closely resembles. It is extremely rare in some parts of the country including well-worked counties such as Essex. Original author of profile: D. Marriott 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.