Heliophanus auratus
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > spider (Araneae) > Spider |
| Red List Status: | Vulnerable (Not Relevant) [VU(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Heliophanus auratus |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | C.L. Koch, 1835 |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Harvey et al., 2017 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | VU, criteria: D2: Little change since review. Restricted to the S and SE coasts of England. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Absent from many suitable areas even within its restricted habitat preference. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | This species would not benefit from untargeted management |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Unknown |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Found on sparsely vegetated shingle below spring tide litter line in Essex (Colne Point area) and at 2 S coast sites, and on an exposed fine coastal shingle bar (S coast). Often immediately below sea wall and very vulnerable to sea defence and other coastal engineering works, and to sea level rise/storm surges. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Targeted re-survey of all former and nearby sites, using standardised methodology to assess current status (and establish baseline for national monitoring programme)
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Essex coast from Bradwell to Colne Point; Arne, Dorset; Oyster Beds nr Stoke on Solent, Hants.
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Autecological research to better characterise habitat requirements and inform management
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Ramsey/Tollesbury Wick Marshes, Essex; Patchin's Point Arne, Dorset
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Work with EA coastal defence teams across its range to develop suitable new habitat (informed by Action 2) as part of coastal protection/realignment/development-offsetting schemes.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Advice & support
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Essex coast from Bradwell to Colne Point, Studland, Dorset and Hayling Island, Hants.
Comments: Once new habitat is established, follow-up with translocation assessment. Links to action for Arctosa fulvolineata
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.