The British Arachnological Society (BAS) is an academic society for professional and semi-professional scientists interested in spiders and other arachnids. Founded in 1958, it is one of the oldest societies specializing in this animal group, publishing both a Bulletin and a Newsletter. Membership is both British and international.
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The society originated in the 1950s, when it was suggested to the British arachnologists G. H. (Ted) Locket and A. F. (Frank) Millidge that they should run a spider identification course. Courses were run at Flatford Mill in Suffolk in 1956 by Locket, in 1957 by David Blest and 1958 again by Locket. 1958 was also an important year for British Arachnology with the publication of the celebrated The World of Spiders by W. S. Bristowe.
During the 1958 spider course, discussions led to the formation of the Flatford Mill Spider Group — the direct forerunner of the BAS — with Ted Locket as Chairman and David Mackie as its Secretary and Treasurer. Mackie also edited a Bulletin, which was first produced in 1959. The group's aim was to exchange information between workers, and initial membership comprised ten people with subscriptions in 1959 of five shillings (25p). Further field courses were held in subsequent years at Flatford and at Malham in Yorkshire, led by arachnologists such as Doug Clark, John Cooke, Eric Duffey and Ted Locket.
The name 'Flatford Mill Spider Group' was eventually considered too parochial and at the 1963 meeting in Preston Montford the name of the association was changed, and from 1964 it became the British Spider Study Group. Membership at this stage was 35 and the again Ted Locket was the Chairman and David Mackie the Secretary and Treasurer. The reprint library was also founded at about this time and regular field courses training up a new generation of arachnologists continued. The Bulletin of the British Spider Study Group continued to grow in size and importance.
At the 1968 meeting in Monks Wood a decision was made to rename the society again, which from 1969 became known as the British Arachnological Society. A formal constitution was adopted, Eric Duffey became its first President and David Mackie continued as Secretary and Treasurer before handing over to John Parker. The first Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society was published, now with an improved production quality, with John Crocker as editor; who also designed the society logo showing a crab spider. A separate Newsletter was produced from 1971 (and issued together with volume 2 of the Bulletin), edited by John Parker. In subsequent years the society increased in size and the quality of its publications also improved. A 50th anniversary meeting was held, again at Preston Montford, in 2008.
The aims of the society are to promote the study of arachnids, and to foster co-operation between amateur and professional arachnologists. It also maintains an extensive library of books, monographs and reprints, which can be made available to members upon request.
The society is headed by a council comprising a President, Vice President, Secretary, Meetings Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Treasurer. Additional council posts include a Librarian, the Editors of both the Bulletin and the Newsletter, a Distribution and a Sales Manager, a Conservation and a Publicity Officer as well as additional ordinary council members.
The society currently has a series of subcommittees drawn from council, whose focus is on strategy, conservation, the library, the spider recording scheme and education/publicity.
The BAS produces two regular publications, distributed together three times a year.
The Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society is a peer-reviewed academic journal, publishing research papers on all aspects of arachnid biology, excluding mites. As of 2010, fifteen volumes have been published, with each volume spread over a number of years. Initially edited by John Crocker (1970–1973), and then Eric Duffey (1974) the Bulletin was edited for many years (1974–2011) by Peter Merrett. From mid 2011 editorship will be taken over by Paul Selden.
The Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society is a more informal publication, including observations on arachnids and other short papers of academic interest, reports of meetings, obituaries, historical notes and book reviews, etc. Running to 119 volumes as of 2010, it was originally edited by John Parker (issues 1–50), then John Dalingwater (issues 51–100) and is currently edited by Richard Gallon. In recent years it has also included the Spider Recording Scheme News, a supplement (edited by Peter Harvey) largely devoted to the occurrence and distribution of spiders and other arachnids within the British Isles; including rare or difficult to identify species.
As well as a Members' Handbook supplied free to all members, the BAS has also published a number of occasional edited volumes, devoted to special topics: the proceedings of the European Congress of arachnology in Edinburgh and a memorial volume for the scorpion biologist Gary Allan Polis. It has also published two important books: a Provisional Atlas of the British Spiders and a guide to the Gnaphosid Genera of the World. It was also partially involved in the publication of Paulo Marcello Brignoli's spider catalogue, early issues of the successor catalogue by Norman Platnick and the pseudoscorpion catalogue of Mark Harvey.
The BAS holds an annual general meeting (A.G.M. and Field Meeting), usually at a field station somewhere in the UK. As well as society business, the meeting invariably includes a field trip to collect spiders and other arachnids in the local area; with a report of the meeting — and the animals collected — published in the Newsletter.
The BAS has hosted an International arachnological meeting (Exeter in 1977, together with the Zoological Society of London) and a European arachnological meeting (Edinburgh in 1997).
The BAS is also associated with regular spider identification courses run by the Field Studies Council.
Another key activity of the society is the Spider Recording Scheme. The older literature included early distribution maps for spiders throughout the Britain. From 1987 Clifford Smith became the first National Organiser of the spider recording scheme, collating records of British spiders largely contributed by BAS members. From 1993 to 1999 this role was taken over by David Nellist and from 1999, Peter Harvey. This work led to the publication of the Provisional Atlas of British Spiders in 2002 by the Biological Records Centre. A similar recording scheme is also in place for harvestmen, and a checklist of British arachnids linked directly to distribution maps can be found on the BAS website.
Merrett, P. 2009. History of the British Arachnological Society and arachnology in Britain. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 114: 1-3.
Merrett, P. 2009. History of the British Arachnological Society and arachnology in Britain. Part 2. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society, 115: 1-4.