an id for a black spider please

[Lemars]

Please would anyone be able to tell me what this spider might be. It was on an outside wall (in France) yesterday.

Although the body is mainly black, the jaws (ouch, terminology) were a dark green.

The following morning it was clearly sluggish and hadn't moved overnight. It was put into a flower-bed, but I suspect it died.

The legs are held very like those of some funnel spiders (at least that's what I think they are when only the legs stick out of the hole), but I've never seen one completely outside it's hole before.

Any help would be appreciated

[Wild-Woman]

I'm certain this is a Tube-web spider Segestria florentina. The green fangs give it away and living in a wall, in a hole with radiating trip wires out from the tube are key.

[nightshade]

I agree we have some of its tourist bretheren here around my porch light

[Lemars]

Thank you WW and NS - so would you think it was sitting on that wall in broad daylight because it wasn't feeling too well ? Don't they usually feed at night - or am I mixing up things I've previously read?
C

[Wild-Woman]

They are more active at night although I've seen them in the daytime. Perhaps your one had just come to the end of its natural life.

[Lemars]

Although that's sad, or unfortunate, I'm glad to have seen the complete spider.
We have an exposed stone wall in the conservatory with one living in the mortar - to the horror of visitors, though I don't consider it's doing much harm - and the legs have been all I've seen until now.

The remnants of the previous nights meal are more evident in the summer - lacewing and damsel-fly wings etc. Very pretty.

Thank you both for your help

C

[nightshade]

They do come out at night, I think the warming up from the porch light helps.
I have tried to photograph these beautiful spiders emerging in response to
the web being stroked but they are fast. I have some photos that I thought were of the live spider then I noticed the abdomen was slightly askew, possibly a bird attack (we have several birds which patrol under the porch)
It is a large spider and those fangs are really intimidating best photo I have seen that shows its fangs in green Segestria florentina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[faz]

Latin name: Segestria florentina

Size: Males can be between 10 and 16mms long. The females average between 15 and 22mms long, Distribution: Found mainly in southern England.

Months seen: June to October.

Food: Flies, beetles and other small insects.

Habitat: Under stones or logs, and in holes in walls, trees and wooden fences.

Special features: By UK standards the tube web spider is a large spider. It is nocturnal, and has six eyes arranged in three groups of two.

The abdomen is long and cylindrical, and the first three pairs of legs all point forwards. The jaws are an iridescent green colour. The bite is very painful.

As it's name suggests, the tube web spider builds a tubular retreat from silk. The entrance to the tube is surrounded by silk 'trip wires' which alert the spider to the presence of prey.

The tube web spider is usually found around the locations of ports and docks which would indicate it was probably introduced to the UK some time ago on ships.

Eggs are laid in the tubular retreat and the female guards the young until they disperse. Sometimes the mother dies before they disperse, and is eaten by the young.

[Wild-Woman]

If you have a tuning fork knocking around (as you do) if you tap it and hold the end on the tripwires, the spider is fooled into thinking it's prey and sometimes rushes out for a few seconds. The female is particularly impressive.

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by faz

Latin name: Segestria florentina

Size: Males can be between 10 and 16mms long. The females average between 15 and 22mms long, Distribution: Found mainly in southern England.

Months seen: June to October.

Food: Flies, beetles and other small insects.

Habitat: Under stones or logs, and in holes in walls, trees and wooden fences.

Special features: By UK standards the tube web spider is a large spider. It is nocturnal, and has six eyes arranged in three groups of two.

The abdomen is long and cylindrical, and the first three pairs of legs all point forwards. The jaws are an iridescent green colour. The bite is very painful.

As it's name suggests, the tube web spider builds a tubular retreat from silk. The entrance to the tube is surrounded by silk 'trip wires' which alert the spider to the presence of prey.

The tube web spider is usually found around the locations of ports and docks which would indicate it was probably introduced to the UK some time ago on ships.

Eggs are laid in the tubular retreat and the female guards the young until they disperse. Sometimes the mother dies before they disperse, and is eaten by the young.

I am 12 or so miles from Bristols ports but here they are