Entelecara omissa new to Cheshire (VC58)

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On 25th July 2025, a vacuum sample taken by Richard Gallon from deep within the sedge beds at Bagmere (SJ79656437) (a Cheshire Wildlife Trust reserve) produced no fewer than seven females of Entelecara omissa. This represents the first record for Cheshire and extends the known range of this scarce fenland spider into North-West England.

Entelecara omissa adult female. Scale = 1mm. (c) Richard Gallon.

Entelecara omissa is a small money spider (Linyphiidae) with a strong association to dense stands of sedge (Carex) and saw-sedge (Cladium), typically in undisturbed fen habitats. The species has a very local distribution in Britain, being mainly confined to East Anglian wetlands where it is often encountered in beds of Cladium mariscus or tall Carex spp. Its life history is tied to these structurally complex plant communities, with adults most frequently recorded in summer from dense litter and tussocks.

In the UK, E. omissa is regarded as Nationally Scarce. Locally, historical records from Staffordshire include Loynton Moss (1991) and Aqualate Mere (1994), about 35 km south of Bagmere, but until now it had not been found further north. Its presence in Cheshire suggests that overlooked populations may also occur in other poorly recorded fen systems.

This find highlights both the importance and the difficulty of sampling in tall sedge habitats- areas most naturalists tend to avoid due to their inaccessibility. The discovery alongside other notable fenland species such as Allomengea vidua (found by Jess Sharp) reinforces the value of targeted recording in these challenging environments.

Arachnologist Richard Gallon in the Carex bed where he vacuumed Entelecara omissa

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