ID : Pardosa amentata

[Andrew C]

Evening,

Feels strange saying "evening" when it is light outside! Anyway, I have identified the spider in the attached image as Pardosa amentata as the abdomen looks a perfect match for that species on my FSC laminated chart. There are quite a few of these in the our garden in Mid Devon, UK. Would that be a sound identification?

Regards,
Andrew.

[Jason Green]

Evening Andrew,

I believe they are critically-identified on palps/epigyne - someone like Carl or Frits should be able to confirm/advise on that. I suppose the degree of certainty depends on the use of the identification. If you're happy with this personally, then all well and good. A website article should indicate uncertainty, and for a Recording Scheme probably best put under the microscope or clarified by an expert prior to submission.

The FSC and AIDGAP guides/keys often use 'secondary characteristics' for identifying - with Flea Beetles for example they tend to resolve them on colour and pronotal/elytral shape which may be a present on average in a line of specimens, but singly variable and so leading to 'Most likely'. These guides are great at introducing you to the variety that's out there, and makes a nice starting point. For certainty they point you in the direction of I believe Perkins from the 80s/90s for plates of the genitalia - more 'detailed' stuff.

Maybe the illustration of the abdomen is secondary in this case - not sure.

Take care,

Jason

[Andrew C]

Evening Jason,

Thanks for coming in on this one. I shall await further advice but in my case I am after a good solid identification for personal satisfaction. If there is going to be some doubt either way then I might not be comfortable with 'putting that down in ink'.

Would it help if I said the garden has plenty of them right now thus pointing towards the commoner of the options or not?

Regards,
Andrew.

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Evening Andrew,

I believe they are critically-identified on palps/epigyne - someone like Carl or Frits should be able to confirm/advise on that. I suppose the degree of certainty depends on the use of the identification. If you're happy with this personally, then all well and good. A website article should indicate uncertainty, and for a Recording Scheme probably best put under the microscope or clarified by an expert prior to submission.

The FSC and AIDGAP guides/keys often use 'secondary characteristics' for identifying - with Flea Beetles for example they tend to resolve them on colour and pronotal/elytral shape which may be a present on average in a line of specimens, but singly variable and so leading to 'Most likely'. These guides are great at introducing you to the variety that's out there, and makes a nice starting point. For certainty they point you in the direction of I believe Perkins from the 80s/90s for plates of the genitalia - more 'detailed' stuff.

Maybe the illustration of the abdomen is secondary in this case - not sure.

Take care,

Jason

[frits_b]

Pardosa species are tough to identify without pictures of the reproductive organs.
I'd say this one looks like P. amentata and it is indeed a likely candidate, being one of the most common Pardosa species, occuring frequently in gardens. However, I wouldn't dare to rule out P. hortensis, which looks just like it. Sorry!

[Andrew C]

Originally Posted by frits_b

Pardosa species are tough to identify without pictures of the reproductive organs.
I'd say this one looks like P. amentata and it is indeed a likely candidate, being one of the most common Pardosa species, occuring frequently in gardens. However, I wouldn't dare to rule out P. hortensis, which looks just like it. Sorry!

Thank you again Frits. Looks like one to pass by then unless I meet someone who can look at it or I get a microscope soon enough.

Regards,
Andrew.

[Jason Green]

Andrew, I use a 20x model from Amazon - £35, by Apex

[Andrew C]

Thanks Jason, I did not know about Apex and they seem to offer a good range on Amazon. I fancy the zoom microscope so I need to stash some shekels in the next few weeks!

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Meta menardi]

I got the same model as Jason, on his recommendation. Don't regret it, and you can cart it around with you. I also have an expensive trinocular zoom microscope, it spends more time in it's box than anywhere else. I am looking after it for someone else, but that is not what holds me back from using it (I paid for a large part of it), it is that a cheap and cheerful x20 is quite adequate for many things.

[Andrew C]

Is this the model being referred to? The Apex Examiner Microscope: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Regards,
Andrew.

[Jason Green]

Yes, but seems to have gone up slightly.