SPIDERS OF THE GENUS PHILODROMUS (ARANEAE) IN WILTSHIRE 



271 



Fig. 5. P. aureolus adult activity 



characteristic. Members of the aureolus group (P. 

 aureolus, P. cespitum, P. collinus, P. longipalpis, P. 

 praedatus) are difficult to distinguish, especially the 

 females. Field characters for P.aureolus and others 

 in the group are not reliable, and examination with 

 a microscope is generally necessary to enable 

 accurate identification at the species level. 



P. cespitum (Walckenaer, 1802) (fig.l) 



National status: Common. Widespread but more 

 common in the south of the country. 

 Wiltshire: Common and widespread. 



As with P. aureolus, the relative lack of records in 

 the south of the county is due to under-recording 

 rather than absence of this species. P. cespitum is 

 very similar in appearance, habitat preference and 

 period of maturity to P. aureolus and was only 

 accepted as a species separate from P. aureolus in 

 1974 (Locket,G.H., Millidge, A.F. and Merrett,R, 

 1974). 



1 

 co 0.8 



QJ 



£ 0.4 



CD 



*0.2 







1 



■ Males 

 □ Females 



JL 



F M A M J J A S N D 

 Month 



Fig. 7. Records for P. cespitum in Wiltshire 



P. collinus C. L. Koch, 1835 



National status; Nationally scarce, Notable B. 

 Restricted to the south of the country. 

 Wiltshire: Restricted habitat but widespread. 



This species was first notified as occurring in 

 Wiltshire in 1996, when a single male was beaten 

 from a pine sapling in Stanton Park. However, an 

 earlier, unreported record was made during an 

 invertebrate survey on Parsonage Down in 1983 

 (P. Harvey, pers. comm.). 



P.collinus is found almost exclusively on 



Fig. 6. P. cespitum adult activity 



Fig. 8. Records for P. collinus in Wiltshire 



