Woodlouse Spider - Dysdera crocata
Females 11 to 15 mm, Males 9 to 10 mm. It has a dark red thorax and orange-brown abdomen. There is one other very similar species - D. erythrina - and the two can only be separated by detailed examination. If we cannot be certain that an image is D. crocata , but it is likely to be this species, it is highlighted in a red box.
Dysdera crocata: femur IV with 1-3 dorsal spines, c.f. D. erythrina: femur IV without dorsal spines.
They are usually to be found under stones and logs in warm places, often close to woodlice. They have been found in houses.
Hunts at night without the use of a web.
Their diet is comprised exclusively of woodlice. This species has especially powerful jaws that can pierce into woodlice.
Fairly frequent and widespread in much of Britain.
Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland.
2259 British records to Jan 2013
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020
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Species profile
- Common names
- Woodlouse Spider
- Species group:
- Spiders
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Araneae
- Family:
- Dysderidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 4
- First record:
- 26/03/2010 (Calow, Graham)
- Last record:
- 26/10/2024 (Nicholls, David)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
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