Walckenaeria stylifrons
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: | Walckenaeria stylifrons |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (O.P.-Cambridge, 1875) |
| 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: Threat status likely to increase at next review. Last recorded at its single GB (Breckland) location in 1994 despite targeted recent searches. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Extreme rarity relative to apparent habitat availability |
| 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: | Low - Relict or natural rarity |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Combination - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Only 4 specimens recorded from a single site between 1963 and 1994 despite targeted survey, including using original sampling techniques and timings in addition to suction sampling. Found in very short grassland and broken ground. Possible loss in as a result of sward changes following major Myxomatosis outbreak. However, with winter activity period and possible troglophilic habit, underrecording is possible and vigilance should be maintained in suitable Breck habitat. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Targeted survey of all recorded, nearby and apparently suitable 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: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Weeting Heath NNR, Norfolk and nearby short-turf heaths
Comments: Focus on ground broken for Stone Curlew and Breckland rare plants. Involve soil ecologists because of possibility of it being a crevice dweller.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Ensure site managers are aware of species past/recent presence and vulnerability on their sites. Update them with Action 1 results to provide any resulting guidance on locations/management and inform commissioning of invertebrate survey work (methods likely to detect/damage species, need for retention and examination of spider by-catch when not a survey target)
Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified
Action type: Advice & support
Duration: Unknown
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Weeting and nearby heaths, Breckland
Comments: Maintain already close liaison between BAS and Norfolk Wildlife trust at this site.
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.