Essex Field Club on Facebook

Visit Our Centre

EFC Centre at Wat Tyler Country ParkOur centre is available for visits on a pre-booked basis on Wednesdays between 10am - 4pm. The Club’s activities and displays are also usually open to the public on the first Saturday of the month 11am - 4pm.

About us


Video about the Club Essex Field Club video

registered charity
no 1113963
HLF Logo A-Z Page Index

A cribellate spider Nigma walckenaeri

Save your records for Nigma walckenaeri (if you can, please register, log-on and upload a web quality picture to help confirm that your spider is this species)

Species account

Nigma walckenaeri Copyright: Peter Harvey
© Peter Harvey
Nigma walckenaeri has been found in gardens or parks in the London and south Essex area, with some records further north, but has also been found more recently in similar situations in the Severn valley. Any small green spider found hiding underneath a web spun across the top of a leaf in the late summer/ autumn period is quite likely to be this spider. Favoured leaves include those shrubs or plants with reasonably sized leaves that have a concave surface such as lilac, ivy, holly, Forsythia, Magnolia, etc.



Araniella inconspicua Copyright: Peter Harvey
© Peter Harvey

Enoplognatha latimana Copyright: Peter Harvey
© Peter Harvey

Enoplognatha ovata Copyright: Peter Harvey
© Peter Harvey
However other green or greenish-yellow spiders occur in summer (see pictures opposite), such as the small orb web spider Araniella (several very similar species and very variable as adults and juveniles), Enoplognatha latimana and Enoplognatha ovata which comes in several colour forms including one without red band/s.  These spiders should not be confused with N. walckenaeri, which is not adult until late summer or autumn.