Monkstown Wood Spider for ID

[jdoherty]

I took this photo in October 2006 in Monkstown Wood, Newtownabbey, N.Ireland. I hope someone can provide an ID.

Thanks, John.

[Venger]

Ah the wonderful world of Lycosids - as far as I can tell its a Pardosa sp possibly, possibly P.lugubris ( I'm counting trichobothrium here and could be wrong)

[thes3raph1m]

venger... where did you learn to identify... i mean i understand once youve seen enough of something you can generally re-identify... but you seem to know so much about the little parts of the critters...

you did an entymological course didnt you!

can you recommend a good place to start learning (that doesnt require outlay, e.g. an expensive book... as at the minute im broke... but i wouldnt be opposed to getting one the other side of christmas...)

[Venger]

Actually I'm all self taught (through books, the net, friends etc)
It's all about observation, you can't just look at abdominal patterning to ID something.
It's about the whole spider - eye placement, head shape, chelicerae, leg shape/length, trichobothrium, spines, even toes! as well as the palps and epigynes.
Oh and location, observation and study really.
Having knowledgeable friends helps too - people tend to specialize on certain groups of spiders - so you can learn so much if you just listen.

I'd suggest you start with something you can carry around with you - personally I'd go with Collins Field Guide: Spiders:Britain and Northern Europe by Michael J. Roberts (but its around £18 I think) - the other field books (the £3.99 ones) just don't help at all (IMO)
Once you really start getting into spiders I'll chuck some key guides at you (like the one in the Amaurobius thread you started)

[jdoherty]

Thanks for the ID Venger. I gooled your ID and see that it's common name is a Wolf Spider. Is this right?

John

[Venger]

'Wolf spider' covers all of the Lycosids of which their are around 80 + species.

[thes3raph1m]

i started an amaurobius thread? ok! sure

i dont mind getting ... hang on, i have a collins field guide... let me go check "THE BOOKCASE OF KNOWLEDGE"

no there are 2... one is a birds of britain and one is just general wildlife of britain and a whole stack of beer as a bookend

[Venger]

I've second guessed myself on this one, now I'm not so sure it's a Pardosa sp eek!. Let's just call it a member of the Lycosidae family

[jdoherty]

Thanks for your help on this.

John