Common Candy-striped Spider sensu lato - Enoplognatha ovata sensu lato

Description

Approximately 6mm from front of head to back of abdomen. There is a pale creamy-green coloured variety (form lineata), a form with two red stripes along the abdomen (redimita form) and another variation where the two red stripes are replaced by a single thick red strip (form ovata). The black spots on both sides of the abdomen are present in all three forms. 

Similar Species

This species can only be reliably separated from Enoplognatha latimana by detailed examination with a microscope or good lens.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Hedgerows, grassland and gardens.

When to see it

May to October.

Life History

Feeds on small insects.

UK Status

Common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Species group:
Spiders
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Araneae
Family:
Theridiidae
Records on NatureSpot:
139
First record:
23/06/1979 (Don Goddard)
Last record:
01/09/2023 (Pugh, Dylan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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