Purse Web Spider

[mrs fish]

Is this a Purse Web Spider ?







If it is would the latin name be Amaurobius similis ?

[No.9 Spider]

That's a Tegenaria species or common house spider.
The purse web spider is Atypus affinis. The purse web spider is more common in the South, scarce and local, and is usually found in small colonies. Very hard to find even when you know where they are as they live their lives in a web 'sock', most of which is below ground and the section above ground is well camouflaged to the surrounding ground. It pierces the prey that lands on the exposed section of 'sock' with its fangs, rips open the sock and drags the prey inside, repairing the tear later.
Fascinating spiders and well worth a google!


No.9 Spider

[mrs fish]

Oh dear , in my Collins Complete British Wildlife my spider looks like what they have published on page 198 as the purse web spider latin name amaurobius similis

Have I paid £15 for wrong ids

Anyway my spider has a blue/grey web nest and he has been living in the shed that we pulled down in a water feature tub

[No.9 Spider]

As it happens I've got a copy of the Collins Complete British Wildlife. The identifications in it are correct. If you look immediately to the left of the spiders name and description you'll see indicators showing which picture it refers to.
Page 198, 1 up from bottom left is the Purse Web spider.
Page 198, 1 up from bottom right is Amaurobius similis.

Your spider is neither of these, and Collins only picture of a Tegenaria species is not much help as its a head on shot, bottom left of page 200!


Hope this helps, but Collins ID's are correct.


No.9 Spider

[mrs fish]

Don't you think my spider looks like Amaurobius similis , it even has a blueish white web, it was hiding in a large black water container in the shed we just took down ?

Sorry for the confusion

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by mrs fish

Don't you think my spider looks like Amaurobius similis , it even has a blueish white web, it was hiding in a large black water container in the shed we just took down ?

Sorry for the confusion

I hate to set you on the road to ruin and despair, but go to a really good book shop and have a little look through the Collins Field Guide, Spiders of Britain & Northern Europe, Michael Roberts.

For me it was like a new world, I thought of spiders as , well, is there more than one. I am useless at detailed ID, I don't spend enough time or see enough specimens, but those little tinkers are everywhere, and it is quite possible to make observations about them that no-one else has recorded. The Lion, the Leopard and the Wolf of your lawn.

Michael Roberts illustrations are a marvel and should replace the Mona Lisa on the walls of the Cistercian chapel of Pisa. I may have spelled Cistercian incorrectly, but who cares (me, I suppose. Just checked and it seems fine)

[No.9 Spider]

Originally Posted by mrs fish

Don't you think my spider looks like Amaurobius similis , it even has a blueish white web, it was hiding in a large black water container in the shed we just took down ?

Sorry for the confusion

Sorry, they look nothing alike, not to me anyway. I can see a certain abdomen colour similarity that may be confusing.

If you go into the Gallery on this site and search under Tegenaria in the Spider section of photographs you'll see plenty of spiders the same or similar to yours.

Regards, No.9 Spider

[Venger]

Your photo is a Tegenaria sp Mrs Fish

Here's your Amaurobius sp


Photo by demicav

The 'Purse web spider' is as No.9 Spider pointed out Atypus affinis, pop over here to see : Atypidae

[mrs fish]

Thanks everyone