Agroeca proxima (O.P.-Cambridge, 1871)
A spider which is seen much less frequently than it's distinctive eggsacs, which often attract far more attention. Shaped very much like an upside down wine glass, they are hung from any vegetation, including the trunks and lower branches of trees. Often, these are covered with debris by the famale, which does help to camoflauge them. We see this spider quite regularly during Spring evenings when moth trapping and it is quite usual to get several females walking across the ground sheet, whilst they hunt nocturnally. There are several other similar species, but at Sherwood Forest, Agroeca proxima is the most regularly recorded. Photographed at Sherwood Forest CP in early April 2010.
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.... .... Uncovered eggsac on Birch trunk. Photograph by Gary Joynt
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The following sequence of photographs shows a female finishing off covering her eggsac, something we had never seen before, as the whole operation is usually completed at night. Photographed at Sherwood Forest CP on 24/05/12.
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Nottinghamshire (VC56) distribution of Agroeca proxima
 
 
 
 
The records for the Nottinghamshire distribution map are currently provided by the following contributors - Trevor and Dilys Pendleton. Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. Trevor and Dilys Pendleton (Sherwood Forest Invertebrate Directory 2014). Stuart Warrington. The National Trust (Clumber Park invertebrate records). David Shaw.

You can contribute your own records to help us gain an accurate status of this species in Nottinghamshire. Send an Excel spreadsheet of your records via the 'contact us' link at the top of the homepage.

Updated January 2022

copyright © Trevor and Dilys Pendleton (www.eakringbirds.com) . .
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