A Report on the Spiders of Bat Fork and Ochlawaha Bogs Henderson County, North Carolina
Abstract: Spider surveys were conducted at two Plant Conservation Program bogs in Henderson County, North Carolina. Research methods were sweep net, beat sheet, litter sifting and visual observations day and night. Each site was visited at least once at night and each was visited three times from spring to fall.
Bat Fork Bog was visited on 30 June 2024 daytime, 26 Jun 2024 day and night, and 5 Sep 2024 daytime only. Ochlawaha Bog was visited on 26 Jun 2024 daytime only, 1 Aug 2024 day and night, and 5 Sep 2024 day and night.
Generally the habitat was very productive for spider diversity, with 54 species documented at Bat Fork Bog and 65 species at Ochlawaha bog. One target species I was looking for was an undescribed jumping spider that occurs in Bunched Arrowhead Preserve in nearby South Carolina. It was not detected, likely owing to these sites being a higher elevation site than those bogs in SC.
All records have been submitted to the North Carolina Biodiversity Project (NCBP) databases, including the Arachnids of North Carolina Spiders of North Carolina, Butterflies of North Carolina, Odonates of North Carolina, Beetles of North Carolina and Moths of North Carolina.
Several voucher specimens were obtained and will be stored at the NCSU Entomology Laboratory, GUID numbers will be attached to vouchers and added to the database records on the NCBP. Photograph based identifications were made for common species and are subject to errors involved with that methodology.
Bockhahn, B. (2025). A Report on the Spiders of Bat Fork and Ochlawaha Bogs Henderson County, North Carolina. A report to the Plant Conservation Program North Carolina Department of Agriculture.