Spider id please

[Monkster]

I just opened up my wheelie bin and found this spider hiding under the lid.
I've had a quick look but as yet haven't been able to identify it, can anyone help me please.



Thanks
Suzanne

[Action_Man]

I think its Amaurobius.sp and possibly fenestralis ...

[Monkster]

Thanks Action man.
I've just spent rather a 'tense' time googling Amaurobius.sp, and spiders in general (I'm not a good spider person unfortunately and all those spider pictures have made me go a bit weak at the knees) but it does look very similar to both you mention.
Many thanks
Suzanne

[No.9 Spider]

Certainly Amaurobius, though I'd tend towards Amaurobius similis for this one as the clear line down the centre of the cardiac mark is fairly strong and is indicative for this species.



No.9 Spider

[Action_Man]

I thought the cephalothorax on fenestralis had the darker front end.

If you get a chance No.9, have a look at my suggested fenestralis on my flickr account.

Flickr: actionman248's Photostream

[No.9 Spider]

I've never found the carapace colouring reliable and the abdomen is generally the better indicator (microscopics aside!). The cardiac mark is split by a clear line in both A. fenestralis and A. similis, but it's broader in A. similis and often almost absent in A. fenestralis. The following chevrons after the cardiac mark are also much finer and pronounced in A. similis and the specimen in this thread I think fits the bill for me.
I had a look at your photo's of A. fenestralis but it has a pretty indistinct/faded pattern, probably not as distinct as many specimens.
Nice photo's by the way.



No.9 Spider

[Action_Man]

I think sometimes you can get tricked into thinking its one or the other by where you find it, i`ll have to be more careful in future, especially as there wandering about at this time of year ...

[Monkster]

Many thanks for your replies No. 9 spider and Action man.
It's interesting to read of the subtle differences between the species and that's what makes it so frustrating to id when you're not even sure what type it is in the first place.
And even though it's a common house spider that I have probably seen many of in my lifetime , the fact that I had a digital photo of it and could zoom in even further made it look much more exotic than it does to the naked eye!
Thanks again both.
Suzanne