Over the last few weeks, through casual sampling of local nature reserves, a new species of Linyphiidae has been recorded for VC59. Erigone dentosa is a North American species that was first recorded in the UK in Cornwall in 2020. It has been found in a variety of habitats from agricultural to coastal. In its native ecosystems, it can be so abundant as to outnumber all other Erigoninae species combined, but no studies have been undertaken on the invasiveness of this species. Since then, it has been recorded in Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire with very few total records (~10). It is a rather unique-looking species of Erigone in the British fauna due to a distally-curved hook midway on the patella of the pedipalps (top left in image below).
J-JW was the first to discover the species in VC59 (16th June 2026) after sweeping a male from bramble in Clinkham Wood Local Nature Reserve, St. Helens. The site itself is a large urban section of mixed woodland, established as a dedicated green space since the Industrial Revolution. At 7.26 hectares, it has a mixture of habitats, including meadows and marsh areas supported by a spring-fed stream.
Not too long after (22nd June 2026), DB found a male at Longton Brickcroft Local Nature Reserve, Preston, after sweeping some mixed short willow and bramble near the water’s edge. Two female specimens were later collected on a subsequent visit (26th June 2026). Longton Brickcroft is a collection of three flooded former clay pits. The site is bordered by both urban developments and agricultural land, but manages to showcase a diversity of flora in wet meadows and woodland.
Both sites are historically under-recorded for spiders, so it is impossible to say for certain whether they are new arrivals this year or if these are long-term resident populations. However, these records could indicate a rapid northward colonisation for this species. Sampling similar habitats around northern Merseyside and south-west Lancashire may reveal additional sites for this species.
