The zebra and the pine tree

Posted by Graeme Lyons , Wednesday 6 July 2011 20:23

Graffham yet again today. Just as I was leaving I decided to look on the trunk of a large, old, open-grown pine. I spotted a jumping spider that I had not seen before. The only other things on the trunk were dozens of Formica rufa ants and a Scoparia pyrallela moth. I thought the spider looked like a tiny Salticus and I had heard that two other species (beyond the common Salticus scenicus that is very common on walls) can be found on pine trunks on heaths. I was expecting it be the local Salticus singulatus but it was actually the much scarcer (Na) Salticus zebraneus. From the texts it does seem that this spider is increasing its range. Yet another nationally scarce invertebrate for Graffham though!

2 Response to "The zebra and the pine tree"

Steve Gale Says:

I thought you were slowing down a bit Graeme? Hard to kick the habit, huh?

Graeme Lyons Says:

Indeed. I am going to scale it back to how the blog was before the 4000 challenge. So, moctly things I bump into at work. Since I posted along those lines on Sunday though I have still added 12 species!

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