spider ID

squishy · #1 (**permalink**) 12-03-2009, 02:24 PM

found this little spider on my carpet this morning. it was moving around too much to get a photo, but i got a good look at the palps and the rest of the body, so i've done some sketches, and i'll describe as best i can

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it was a mature male (i'm pretty sure) ~6mm long, mostly brown, but with some paler and darker patches. the abdomen was a pale beige-grey, and very thin and long, roughly 1.5x the length of the head and thorax put together. there were no visible spines on the legs at the magnification i was using. i never got a good look at the chelicera, but i think they were fairly small compared to the palps. the patella was a paler more yellow colour then the rest of the leg, and the tibia graduated from black to pale brown going down. the head and thorax were a darker shade of brown than the rest of the body. on the underside of the abdomen there was a little kink upwards towards the back* (lower sketch*). i didn't get much of a look at the spinners, all i could see were two pale protrusions (if that helps).
i cant really describe the palps, but here is my sketch of them -

*

i think that's the best description i can give, but ask if you want more details and i'll see if i can answer

Venger · #2 (**permalink**) 12-03-2009, 07:02 PM

Can you remember the head/thorax shape?
Leg length - were there any longer than the others?

I suggest popping over to here and see if you can find anything similar for us to look at:
Thumbnails of spiders in NW_Europe

squishy · #3 (**permalink**) 13-03-2009, 02:48 PM

the front legs were abit longer than the rest i think... i cant remember much about the head and thorax shape, it usually had it's legs bunched up and obscuring that area

i've had a good look at that site, but nothing looks right to me.

dmclean2 · #4 (**permalink**) 13-03-2009, 07:49 PM

Hi Squishy,
I'll put up a photo of a spy pot that I use, get two raspberry, strawberry trifle pots, (eat the trifle first) and cut the bottom out of one where the line/fold can be seen on the underside leaving a small lip, glue a peice of polystyrene about 6-8mm thick after trimming it to a round shape, then cut the bottom off the other pot, tear off a peice of clingfilm and cover the bottom, catch the spider/insect in the one with the clingfilm on and insert the other one with the polystyrene into it, pushing it up untill you trap the spider, you can then examine the little crittur to your hearts content without harming it, you can also maneuver it to veiw the dorsal side (top) and the ventral side (Underside)
I made a little stand so that I could use my field microscope to examine them,
Hope this helps,
Duncan

dmclean2 · #5 (**permalink**) 13-03-2009, 07:59 PM

Squishy,
I cant seem to edit my thread with a post script,so if you cut a circular piece of graph paper and stick it to the polystyrene you have a means of measuring the spider also, each square on the graph paper is 2 mm x 2mm
Duncan

Venger · #6 (**permalink**) 13-03-2009, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squishy

i've had a good look at that site, but nothing looks right to me.

Not so much if anything looks right, but if anything looks similar (apart from they are all spiders). That would help.

naturegirl · #7 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 03:03 AM

Hi Venger!!

Can't wait for the new season to start and for me to see new spiders this year!!!

I have found many baby Steatoda grossa in my bedroom would you believe !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say they have been 're-located' elsewhere !!!!!

Sorry for absence, new grand-child, loss of doggie companion, new job etc......

Naturegirl

Jason Green · #8 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 03:08 AM

Ah no, I am sorry NG

Venger · #9 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 05:01 AM

Closest I can get is a Harpactea spp Squishy.
Most likey H.hombergi

Sorry to hear about your dog NG.

not a good shot but see here:
http://www.galerie-insecte.org/galerie/ref-31058.htm

No.9 Spider · #10 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 12:38 PM

I was puzzling over this for a while and thinking Dysderidae, then being put off by the location, square pegs - round holes thinking

. Obviously the location isn't always relevant where spiders are concerned.

I think Des's Harpactea sp. idea is excellent from the details given and the palp detail fits spot on as well.

What puzzles me is how you can draw a good palp detail such as Squishy has done but not get a general photograph of the spider

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No.9 Spider