Purse Web Spiders In Ireland? (Atypus affinis)

[marclar]

Do you guys know if you can get these spiders in Ireland ? , the range on wikipedia says they are in Ireland, but iv'e read on sites that they are very rare even in England, rare or just hard to find ?.
I'd really like to know the awnser because there are no myglamorphs in the UK,
except for this one ? (or is there?).

Sorry If i'm making no sense its just its 1:15 am and im a tad tired,
Cheers.
:}

 

[Bastian Drolshagen]

use the search function.. somewhere here I posted a link to a page that shows the locations...

 

[PhilR]

Do you guys know if you can get these spiders in Ireland ? , the range on wikipedia says they are in Ireland, but iv'e read on sites that they are very rare even in England, rare or just hard to find ?.
I'd really like to know the awnser because there are no myglamorphs in the UK,
except for this one ? (or is there?).

Sorry If i'm making no sense its just its 1:15 am and im a tad tired,
Cheers.
:}

Yes, they are the only Mygalomorph in the UK, and yes they are also found in Ireland - See http://www.habitas.org.uk/InvertebrateIreland/species.asp?item=5802

 

[marclar]

Thanks, Coudln't find anything to do with them in Ireland,should I look for them when its hotter out ?
I looked at the range map , and there's no dots on Ireland ?
Does that mean there Is none in Ireland or they are rare/endangered/xtra hard to find ? ?
But anyways, the habitat link was very helpfull, there is forest in my area, and I hang around there anyway,
When Do you think I should look for one ?

 

[PhilR]

Sandy or chalky soil and look from Feb/March to maybe November. They have been recorded for both Southern and Northern Ireland as far as I can tell, but they will certainly not be easy to find.

Incidentally, there was an excellent article in the latest BTS journal regarding A. affinis

 

[marclar]

Thanks you guys, going to look for one in feb/march like you said, and keep it as a pet.

 

[jsloan]

They are very difficult to find! This account of an Atypus affinus collecting trip in Germany should give you some valuable pointers:

http://forum.canadianarachnology.org/viewtopic.php?t=447

Good luck, and don't forget to post some pics if you find some.

 

[marclar]

Will do, but that's if I actually find some, I'm only doing this cus' im not allowed a T no matter how much I tell them the facts about them and that I know what Im doing because i've done my research (on here ).

 

[sjl197]

Hi Marclar,

I based in ireland not to far from you, and i was planning to go hunting Atypus over the late spring/summer. I also cant find much information.

I actually had my Atypus training exercise this last weekend at a site in north wales, with you-guess-who, and not very far from you Phil..., and now i trust that guys field-skills more, as HE found one... just one.. but wow.

Really, these don't seem at all suitable as pets, as they can be locally rare (so collection can threaten populations) and captive bred tarantulas are MUCH MORE suitable. Is it your parents/partner that doesnt like those? Best if you give them the right facts, and many species of captive bred tarantula are much more suitable than Atypus. You could start with caring for a smallish juvenile, which to most people seem nothing like a scary tarantula, plus juveniles are more interesting to grow up to adult.

Now, the reason i am hunting Atypus is for a serious scientific project, which is looking at their morphological variation and genetics, so i would welcome any details and advice on sites. I would like to promote people from round ireland, UK (and across europe actually) to collect one or two specimens for the project, provided allowed by local laws, and done responsibly. I have the recent UK article in the BTS journal, and thanks for the details of the german article, i hadnt seen that.

Please feel free to send me a message/pm if you have site details, or could help out with getting specimens from anywhere.

best wishes
stuart

 

[PhilR]

Hi Marclar,

I based in ireland not to far from you, and i was planning to go hunting Atypus over the late spring/summer. I also cant find much information.

I actually had my Atypus training exercise this last weekend at a site in north wales, with you-guess-who, and not very far from you Phil..., and now i trust that guys field-skills more, as HE found one... just one.. but wow.

Really, these don't seem at all suitable as pets, as they can be locally rare (so collection can threaten populations) and captive bred tarantulas are MUCH MORE suitable. Is it your parents/partner that doesnt like those? Best if you give them the right facts, and many species of captive bred tarantula are much more suitable than Atypus. You could start with caring for a smallish juvenile, which to most people seem nothing like a scary tarantula, plus juveniles are more interesting to grow up to adult.

Now, the reason i am hunting Atypus is for a serious scientific project, which is looking at their morphological variation and genetics, so i would welcome any details and advice on sites. I would like to promote people from round ireland, UK (and across europe actually) to collect one or two specimens for the project, provided allowed by local laws, and done responsibly. I have the recent UK article in the BTS journal, and thanks for the details of the german article, i hadnt seen that.

Please feel free to send me a message/pm if you have site details, or could help out with getting specimens from anywhere.

best wishes
stuart

I agree entirely with you about the better suitability of a CB tarantula as a pet over Atypus affinis.

Marclar, you could even get a small T to start with, such as H. incei, H. villosella or even C. elegans. Still tarantulas, and even less intimidating as adults than Atypus (and dare I say it, easier on the eye!).

I know exactly who you mean Stuart (and where), and there's certainly no doubting his skills. Finding one last weekend though That's just showing off if you ask me

 

[marclar]

No matter how much I tell them about T's it's still no, also my family is pretty broke at the moment too, my mothers not working.. where abouts in ireland are you ?

 

[marclar]

This is odd, right, I had a dream last night, that I was in the forest, and I looked at a tipped over tree, and where the trunk is, like its tipped up on its side, under it was about 50(what I belived to be in my dreams) purse web slings, but they were orange ?, there was about 10 or 20 mature ones too.
Odd dream,eh?

 

[marclar]

I took some photos of the forest I was talking about, would this be a Atypus affinus habitat ?

 

[Bastian Drolshagen]

no, definitely not Atypus habitat.

 

[marclar]

Awh, that sucks, well atleast I know more about atypus now, least I learned something.
What interesting spiders could I find in here, all i've found without looking hard for are small orbweaver srot of things taht make webs on the one tree.

 

[Bastian Drolshagen]

90% Linyphiidae I guess ^^

 

[marclar]

What , the tiny tiny little black spiders ?