2021 March 7

 

    Here’s a spider from the Galloping Goose Trail, photographed by Ian Cooper on March 6.  This is what Dr Bennett writes:

 

I looked at these with Darren Copley. We agree that the spider is a linyphiid but are unsure whether linyphiine or erigonine. Possibly a Bathyphantes (linyphiine) but could also be something else such as a Grammonota (erigonine). There aren’t actually all that many linyphiids with chevron-like abdominal patterns. I think we lean towards Bathyphantes.

 

    We hope these long words are long enough for our viewers – and we thank Robb and Darren for taking so much trouble to identify a modest little spider.  For those who may be slightly baffled by the long words, they are not as mysterious as they sound.  Sheetweb spiders belong to the Family Linyphiidae (Families end in –idae), and members of this Family are referred to as linyphiids.   The Family Linyphiidae includes several Subfamilies (ending in –inae), such as Linyphiinae and Erigoninae, and spiders belonging to these linyphiid subfamilies are referred to as linyphiines and erigonines.  Bathyphantes and Grammonata are genera (plural of genus.)  So now you know! 

 

Just maybe Bathyphantes sp. (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)  Ian Cooper