2 Spiders for ID Please

[LoveT]

Hi

I expect this will be relatively easy for those of you who know your spiders, but as I don't I'd be grateful of some help !

No 1:

Sorry it's a rather blown out image - I've tried to recover as much as possible, but without success (as you can see!). What caught my attention was the width of the thorax - you can get an idea of the size as it's managed to catch a red tailed bumble bee. I saw it in a chalk downland wildflower meadow, it was quite low down - no more than a foot from the ground.



No 2:

I'm sure I should know this one, but I'm too chicken to make a decision!



Thanks for any help

Thea

[No.9 Spider]

Well the second one is most likely to be Meta segmentata as opposed to Meta mengei due to the late season.
I'm not familiar with the second (maybe one of the larger Theridiidae?, and Im not convinced she's fully mature) so I'll ponder awhile in the meantime, pending Venger . Looks like she lost a front leg in the battle.



No.9 Spider

[Venger]

Would say:
1: Is a Enoplognatha sp
2: A Metellina sp most like M.mengei

It's kind of hard to say - can't quite see everything properly.

When you're asking for ID's, especially spiders, please give sizes (excluding legs)
(I can work out the size of the first one relatively easily)

[LoveT]

Thanks everybody for your help.

No.9 Spider - No.2 was taken around 12 September. Does that still make it a 'late season' spider?

Venger - you're absolutely right, I should have given you sizes to go on. Sorry . Spider No.2's body was approximately 7 or 8mm in length (from tip of abdomen to 'the other end').

Thea

[Geoff F]

12th September makes the decision even harder as M. mengei can still be around then. And although it is chiefly a spring/early summer spider a few 'stragglers' can be found even later.