Topic: Spider identification

[Georgie]

Can anyone recommend a good website for identifying British spiders please?  I've tried Google but most of the hits were not very comprehensive.  Thanks.   :)

G x

[Hyacinth]

....so I, too,  googled (as you would ;D)....and played about with words, cos the family is so v.v.large....like you, can't come across a definitive on-line reference, tho Collins seem to do books of garden & house spiders in the UK/N.Europe...actually, like my bird books, a nice thing to read and have - a novel(!) change from staring at a screen? But all that's not going to help you, is it?

[Julia]

Not sure how to insert a link.  But here goes:

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/gallery/browseimages.php?c=30

[Georgie]

....so I, too,  googled (as you would ;D)....and played about with words, cos the family is so v.v.large....like you, can't come across a definitive on-line reference, tho Collins seem to do books of garden & house spiders in the UK/N.Europe...actually, like my bird books, a nice thing to read and have - a novel(!) change from staring at a screen? But all that's not going to help you, is it?

Thanks for trying.  Yes, I saw the Collins book and am tempted, I've got quite a collection of specialist wildlife books so one more won't hurt will it?   ;D

Not sure how to insert a link.  But here goes:

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/gallery/browseimages.php?c=30

Thanks Julia.  I've already looked at that site but I can't find the spider I'm trying to identify on there.   :(

G x

[Georgie]

I've been out to have another look at my spider and this is the best description I can come up with.  It's sitting in a web about 25-30cm in diameter in my Passiflora.  (I have no idea if any of that is relevant!)  It has an apple green body with two bold yellowish stripes on either side and looks a bit like a Nasturtium seed.  The body is about 1cm long, the head is reddish brown and the front two pairs of legs are about twice as long as the back two pairs.  Any ideas?

G x

[Julia]

Have printed off your last comment.  I have a neighbour who works for a local animal ambulance.  Will ask him later on this week.

[Georgie]

Have printed off your last comment.  I have a neighbour who works for a local animal ambulance.  Will ask him later on this week.

Oh thanks, that's great.   ;D

G x

[redimp]

Have you tried: http://greatbritishspiders.tripod.com/ ?
I think you will want Orb weavers if the web you are describing looks like a typical web.

[redimp]

How about this one:

Green Orb Weaver

[ceres]

Image is copyright so can only post link:


http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/photos/img2213.htm

[redimp]

Snap! ;D

[ceres]

AKA cucumber spider!  But is it Georgie's spider?????

[Georgie]

Sorry, thanks for your efforts but that doesn't look right at all.   :(  My spider is a much brighter green with very distinctive stripes.

G x

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm sure I've seen it, but I don't have a spider book unfortunately. Do you have a decent reference library locally?

[Julia]

I've been to see the neighbour and he has lent me a book.  Also given me a list of latin names to what it could be.

First of all, we need to know whether the body is round or elongated?

[Georgie]

I've been to see the neighbour and he has lent me a book.  Also given me a list of latin names to what it could be.

First of all, we need to know whether the body is round or elongated?

Elongated, but only just.   :)

G x

[Julia]

Without a picture, can only come up with tetragnathidae (various colours available) and micrommata (virescens)-female. 

[Georgie]

Hmmm...not sure.  Could be the latter but in most of the pics I've seen they have green heads too.  Looks like I'm going to have to get a book. 

G x