can anyone id this spider?

dzmoore · #1 (**permalink**) 28-09-2011, 10:23 AM

hello, i found this on the outside of my living room window (i live in dundee, scotland) and i was wondering what it is. it is about an inch long and stone colored with tiny red and black mottled type pattern on its body, its web is about a foot and a half, maybe two feet wide.
any help would be appreciated!

thanks,
Debra

Photo:

Geoff F · #2 (**permalink**) 28-09-2011, 08:39 PM

Not a lot of detail there I'm afraid, Debra; but to start with, have a look at Meta segmenta.

MattPrince · #3 (**permalink**) 28-09-2011, 09:01 PM

Agreed, though its now metellina segmentata isn't it?

..and of course almost identical to m. mengei, but unlikely to be that as it typically comes out earlier in the year.

See that some have given m. segmentata the name 'Autumn Spider' though it should probably be 'Autumn Stretch Spider'.

Regards,
Matt

Geoff F · #4 (**permalink**) 28-09-2011, 10:49 PM

Agreed, though its now metellina segmentata isn't it?

I'm not sure what is the current thinking about this. I use Roberts for identification and he was most insistent that the attempted move to Metellina was incorrect.

But that was around 10 years ago.

MattPrince · #5 (**permalink**) 28-09-2011, 11:17 PM

I found this interesting

http://www.americanarachnology.org/J...A_v20_p137.pdf

Though its about 20 years old! I'd also be interested in why Roberts considered the move invalid (is it in his standard guide? I shall have to have a look).

British Spiders, have them down as metellina, as does the European websites I use sometimes to check sexual characters.

However, when one seeks out the knowledge of older, wiser, naturalists, one gets used to looking up the odd synonym.

Regards,
Matt