Spiders for ID

[Africa]

There seems to be quite a lot of spider activity both inside and outside my house recently. On sunny days Zygiella x-notana on window corners builds up a new web. Some Pholcus have survived even in the outside toilet. An Amaurobius female run across the kitchen floor.
I saw this male - on the bath rim - a Tegenaria? I tried to get as close as possible to the palps.



And finally this mouse spider, not sure if it is Scotophaeus blackwalli

[Jason Green]

Evening A,

I might suggest Amaurobius for the spider about to run a bath. It doesn't have the right jizz for Tegenaria for me. Good shot of the palp there; I don't have a key with illustrations of genitalia, so unfortunately I can't look it up.

Take care,

Jason

[Africa]

Thank you Jason, you are absolutely right! I guess the location sent me in the wrong direction. Everybody knows how much Tegenaria love baths
I wondered that it was unusual to see male tegenarias out and about in early spring. This is a more dorsal shot:


I checked the palps in Roberts guide and to my untrained eye looks like an Amaurobius similis male. Now it makes sense both males and females are active!

[Africa]

Here is a crop of the best shot of the palps:

[Jason Green]

I considered similis too, but wasn't sure whether the blunt hook halfway up at the front was sharp enough. I'm also unaware of it's phenology.

[frits_b]

Originally Posted by Africa

And finally this mouse spider, not sure if it is Scotophaeus blackwalli

This is actually a sac spider, one of the Clubiona species, not a mouse spider.

[Africa]

Thank you Frits_b! I have actually seen a sac with the female inside in my garden, it is nice to see what they look like.
Do you agree with A. similis ID?

[frits_b]

Yes, I think the first spider is indeed A. similis; A. fenestralis doesn't have the pointy (black) apophysis.