Spider 3mm inside.

[JRsbugs]

Hi,

A tiny one, only 3mm in body length excluding pedipals, found inside in the living room. It might have been living on a small portable spot lamp which was being used and got disturbed.

Thanks for any help.

Janet

[dmclean2]

Hi Janet,
Well it's a male for a start, it has the large palps, it could be one of the Meta spp,
But not too sure,
Duncan

[JRsbugs]

Hi Duncan,

That's a start. I have tried looking for Meta species, found one at 15mm! The more I look the more I get confused, lol, hopefully someone will know at least the Genus.

Janet

[dmclean2]

Janet,
There are some great spider guys on the site that will give you a better ID than I can , I looked through my books and since the legs were anulated
( dark stripes down them) I looked at Meta spp, I have to try even if I am wrong, for that is the only way to learn
I will watch this thread for futher comment
Duncan

[JRsbugs]

Thanks Duncan, I agree, by trying you learn. Unfortunately I don't have a spider book so rely on web sites. and I know only very little about spiders. It could well be a Meta sp., but there is very little on them on the web that I found anyway but I did see they have striped legs. I have a few more to ID when I get around to it, more practice.

Janet

[Action_Man]

It looks, to me, more like Linyphiidae, and perhaps Neriene clathrata ...

[JRsbugs]

Thanks for the lead Action Man, I think I have now found it! Take a look at the male Lepthyphantes minutus in the Family Linyphiidae on eurospiders.com. The abdomen matches well, the rest looks about right too. What do you think?

Janet

[Geoff F]

Lepthyphantes is a good suggestion but L. nebulosus or L. leprosus are more likely to be found in houses and at this time of the year. L. minutus is more of an outdoor animal and it is a bit late for a mature male now.

They do vary a bit in colour and 'wild' species can enter houses during the winter so it will be difficult to be absolutely certain of a definite ID.

[JRsbugs]

Thanks Geoff, I have checked the two out you mention and of the two Lepthyphantes leprosus looks a good match from an old drawing I found on judywoods, showing both male and female. An Italian site gives the length as 2.4 to 3.5mm so that fits.

The spider may have come from outside as the person working with the lamp had been in the shed at the bottom of the garden so there's still a possibility it is Lepthyphantes minutus unless the size doesn't fit.


Lepthyphantes leprosus has come up on the British Arachnological site with a link to NBN Gateway, it seems fairly common but post 1991 records show it further west, 1950-91 present but that is dependant on recording. Lepthyphantes minutus shows much the same, but I am leaning towards Lepthyphantes leprosus because of the time being more correct, as well as the patterned thorax which in L. minutus looks generally all one colour.

Janet

[No.9 Spider]

Lepthyphantes is a good determination genera but unfortunately that's as far as you can determine as it's impossible to determine these to a precise species without the use of a microscope .



No.9 Spider