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Photo: Gordon Spears |
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UK
Safari Tip:
Need help identifying house or garden spiders? Try this superbly illustrated fold out ID
chart - click
here
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Latin name: Lepthyphantes minutus
Size: Between 3mm and 4mm
Distribution: Found throughout the UK.
Months seen: May to November.
Habitat: Tree trunks, old bird nests and sometimes in houses. Builds a
small sheet web.
Food: Tiny insects.
Special features: Despite its specific name 'minutus' is one of the largest
money spiders, or which there are around 20 species (though recent taxonomic work suggests the genus should be split into smaller groups).
Lepthyphantes minutus is the only one of this genus which has an all-dark carapace and banded legs,
making it recognisable in the field.
It is widespread and common, sometimes coming into houses, but usually found in
dry microhabitats such as the litter caught in epicormic growth on tree trunks, old bird nests etc.
The genus as a whole contains several of our commonest spiders. The much smaller
Lepthyphantes tenuis which has claim to being THE commonest spider in Britain.
Info kindly supplied by
Ian Dawson
UK Safari Spider Section
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