From deciduous leaf litter perhaps? Have a look at Microneta. It can be a bit variable.

Any suggestions? Best photo I have with this 2mm liny'. Simply not clear enough for me to ID. Woodland habitat, reddish legs. Hopefully someone can recognise the mantis shape. If not will keep for it for when I have better scope. Ta
@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk

Nice one. They are the best of all the non-spiders!

pullata still awaits!

Keep an eye open now for Agalenatea redii, the Gorse Orb Weaver. Gorse is a good place to find it but it can also be found in other bushes, heather, grass, and on fences etc. Like many others in the family Araneidae, A. redii is variable in appearance, and has several strikingly different forms.

I have done this cliff at Kynance to death over the last year - other than the elusive Altella lucida, I thought I had it nailed...A bit of stone turning with @graemelyons.bsky.social this week turned up Ozyptila scabricula! An amazing addition to the Lizard spider list! @britishspiders.bsky.social

A few people have been to look for it specifically in the last few years and have all failed, myself included.

It's more ginger than the T. digitatus that I'm used to seeing. Has a Tapinocyba look to it

Yowza! I think you are right. Might want Richard to weigh in as he's seen this, I haven't (despite dedicated stops to find it on the way up to Cardiff!!).I think the only other epigyne that can look like this is Trichopternoides, but the spider is a bit bigger and more orange.

Two Oxon firsts from casual fencepost spidering - Walckenaeria vigilax from....a bus stop and 'what appears to be Typhochrestus simoni(!!) from a damp urban meadow. Really goes to show what an effective method it can be to meet otherwise elusive linys...

@britishspiders.bsky.social

You are correct indeed!

Cryptachaea blattea (Theridiidae) found under a window sill at the back of our house. An introduced species though from where is unclear.

A new spider for me (assuming I'm identifying it correctly).
Cryptachaea blattea (Theridiidae).
Back of our house in Topsham, Devon.
I've iRecorded it.
@britishspiders.bsky.social
@tylanberry.bsky.social

A particularly spikey Palliduphantes ericaeus from under a stone recently - unusually long and prominent leg spines. Not going to lie, I did wonder if it was something a bit more horrid...of the Nothophantes variety at first! @britishspiders.bsky.social @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social

Lovely. I rarely find this here. Usually on open moorland or Molinia grassland.

@britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social @chalkspring.bsky.social

Always nice to find a Walck! This female W. vigilax was the very last spider I picked up during a recent excursion; I’ve found it before but this one allowed me to photograph it properly for a change!

Seems to be doing rather well in that corner of Devon!

Master of camouflage the amazing Lichen Running Spider Philodromus margaritatus Buckfastleigh, Devon 2 found yesterday thanks @2turrell.bsky.social

A stone this time!

A few other specialties from a slightly brighter Lizard cliffs - always nice to be in the company of a large flock of Chough. Gnaphosa occidentalis, Porrhoclubiona genevensis and Lathys stigmatisa @britishspiders.bsky.social

Even in the pouring mizzle, there's plenty of adult male Euophrys herbigrada to be found on the west Lizard cliffs at this time of year. @britishspiders.bsky.social @graemelyons.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @chalkspring.bsky.social

Not particularly scarce, but seemingly very localised. A very difficult spider to target.

It's the slightly larger black blob. It was on a vertical brick wall, the white on the left is the silicone around the edge of an electric meter. To give an indication of scale, the patch of slightly grey area that it's sat on is the line of mortar between the brickwork!

Spending a bit of time checking the external brickwork whilst at a party....as one does! First time I've seen Sardinidion blackwalli in a few years, still only know it from two gardens in St Austell down here. Must be elsewhere in Cornwall! @britishspiders.bsky.social

Hahaha, I've loved this distribution map for a long time. Luckily, it is inside a known hectad so won't disturb the dot feng shui!

Excellent! They're so good for restraining spiders for live gen det under the scope, especially females.

A spider that I rarely find, probably once every two years - Hilaira excisa. This was in the company of the very similar looking Drepanotylus uncatus in the mires of Bodmin Moor. Forgot to take a habitat picture so the high moor in the pouring rain will have to suffice! @britishspiders.bsky.social

Very similar, but C. blattea sits on the outside of this detritus, behind it. C. riparia create a hollow tube retreat to sit inside.

Transparent card protector sleeves

Episinus angulatus male

I bought some of the transparent card protector sleeves @tylanberry.bsky.social suggested for harmlessly restraining insects for photography.
They work!

#Arachnids #Spiders #entomology #Insects #macrophotography #macro

They're remarkably handy

A small spider sitting hunched up on a piece of grey-brown wood, facing left. The spider has an orange cephalothorax and legs while the roundish abdomen is greyish-brown.

A small spider facing right. The spider has an orange cephalothorax with slightly paler legs while the roundish abdomen is brown. The head area is slightly raised. It has been photographed down a microscope with a bright light that intensifies the colour.

Close up of the spiders epigyne, taken down a microscope. The epigyne is the females reproductive area. There is a central whitish vertical oblong bordered either side by two dark circular areas. Above the epigyne is the base of the cephalothorax where the legs attach.

Took a spider from the cemetery home to ID. Turned out to be a Liny which I don't normally look at (too small). Surprised that it was straightforward to key out: female Gonatium rubellum. I put the live spider in a 'floating frame' to keep it still under the microscope and released her afterwards.