شناسایی Spiders and alies

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Many wolf spiders prove to be very good mothers: they put their eggs in a cocoon which they carry around till the young hatch! With some species the young even climb on their mother's back and are transported for one or two weeks that way.


Many Wolf Spiders, like this Pardosa sp., lay their eggs in a cocoon which they carry around.

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Wolf Spiders have a very good eyesight. It is crucial for them to see well because they hunt in broad daylight. Males differ from females by the looks. They are smaller, darker and their palps have developed into big, often black fans, which they wave in front of the females. These choose the best looking ones to mate with.

Possibly a male and a female of the same species (Pardosa sp.) of Wolf Spiders .

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Nursery Web Spiders (Pisauridae)

Nursery Web Spiders (Pisauridae)

Nursery Web Spiders (Pisauridae)


Below you see a very common species in the garden, the Nursery Web Spider. On sunny days it can be found on the leaves of many plants in the garden taking a sunbath. In order to be able to mate the male spider has to offer the female a present, for instance, a freshly caught fly. While the female eats her food, the male quickly mates. And he better be quick, because a moment of carelessness can be lethal. The female will eat him without hesitation! After hatching, the young are carefully guarded by their mother for some time. The colours on the spider may vary from a light brown to a dark brown. Regardless of the colours there is always a visible line on the thorax.

The Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) likes to bathe in the sunshine

The Nursery Web spider belongs to the family of Pisauridae. It is about 15mm in size and it hunts in low vegetation and on the ground looking for flies and other small insects. It uses quick sprinting and strength to catch and overpower its prey. The Nursery Web Spider varies in colour from grey to dark brown. It gets it name from the way it nurses its eggs and spiderlings. During mating the male presents the female with a carefully wrapped insect as a present. The female carries her egg sac in her jaws. The spiderlings are looked after by the female for some time after they have hatched.

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Comb-footed Spiders (Theridiidae)

Comb-footed Spiders (Theridiidae)

Comb-footed Spiders (Theridiidae)


The Candy-stripe Spider uses its wires mainly to construct a web to catch insects. It very much resembles a Crab Spider, but actually it is a closer relative of the European Garden Spider. The species is very variable, in most cases there is a red lining of the back, sometimes the red may be absent while other specimens are showing a back which is completely red. The Comb-footed Spiders build an efficient web: it is small and contains a lot of wires. The upperside is firmly attached to a plant. The other sides are only just attached. An insect flying into the web will cause all sides to loosen, except for the top. The prey then dangles helplessly in the air and quickly gets more entangled by the wires.


The Candy-stripe Spider (Enoplognatha ovata) is very beautiful, although the red doesn't always come in just stripes!

The colouring of this spider is quite variable: some are in a pale creamy-green colour black spots on both sides of the abdomen, others have the two red stripes or just a single thick red stripe along the abdomen. Some individuals have red markings, some have no markings at all and are just pale green. Candy-stripe Spider's abdomen is about 6mm in size and can be found from May till October. It constructs a messy looking web consisting of a loose network of criss-cross threads.

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The Candy-stripe Spider is a striking representative of the Comb-footed Spiders, due to her size and colours. But many of her relatives are much smaller and less colourful. In many species the markings on the abdomen is quite distinctive though and it is usually possible to tell the various species apart. Many of these small species belong to the genus of Theridion. There are no less than some 23 species in the Benelux alone. A very common species is Theridion varians below. It is a small species reaching no more than some 20 to 35 mm. In many parts of Europe this is an abundant species. It is even found near the Polar Circle! This animal was identified by Jürgen Peters, Aloys Staudt and Bryan Goethals in a joint effort, thanks to all of them!


This very common Theridion varians even lives near the North Pole.

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This small spider is not difficult to identify once you place it within the right family. It is the only Comb-footed Spider with a dark band running over the abdominal area, even though this band is extremely variable in colouring. There are a couple more species like it, but most are very rare or occurring only in Southern Britain. They are all lively marked creatures, reaching a length of some 2.5 to 3.5 mm only. They build little webs of criss cross threads either low in trees or bushes, or high up in lower vegetation. Very common all over Britain including the southern and central parts of Scotland. It can usually be found on oak.

This tiny Anelosimus vittatus is a well marked and usually easily identified member of the Comb-footed Spiders.

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Stretch Spiders (Tetragnathidae)

Stretch Spiders (Tetragnathidae)

Stretch Spiders (Tetragnathidae)

Stretch Spiders usually give the impression being stretched out which is due to the very long front legs. Stretch Spiders are also known as Big Jawed Spiders or Long Jawed Orb Weavers. There are not many species in Western Europe, but it is very difficult to tell which is which. They do construct orb webs, even though some species are hunters on the ground and do not build webs. These are two very common Stretch Spiders and both can be found in gardens frequently.


This could very well be the Common Stretchspider (Tetragnatha extensa).

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The web Stretch Spiders make is very common to that of the Orb Web Spiders, but it is less dense and lacks a frame work. The spider below could be T. montana, but we are not sure. If you find a Stretch Spider in your garden, it almost certainly is either the species above, or the one depicted here. Both species are abundant, expecially near water. The further away you get from water, the better your chances of meeting the species below.


This is one of a few extremely similar stretch spiders (most probably Tetragnatha montana, though).

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Not all Stretch Spiders are that easy to identify as such. A very common spider is depicted below. By looking at the male, to the left, you can see it is a Stretch Spider, but the female, to the right, is very different and can easily be mistaken for an ordinary web spider. The female is also extremely variable in colour and body patterns. The spiders of this genus (Metellina) are commonly known as Orb Stretch Spiders. They used to be in a family of their own the Metidae, but nowadays are considered to be part of the Stretch Spider family. This species is also known as Metellina segmentata.


A very common spider in the garden, but alas it has no English common name: Meta segmentata.

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Common Orb Weaver (Metellina segmentata / Meta segmentata)

Common Orb Weaver (Metellina segmentata / Meta segmentata)

Common Orb Weaver (Metellina segmentata / Meta segmentata)

Meta segmentata looks like the European Garden Spider, but has a different drawing on the back. However, there is another way to tell the species apart and that's by looking at the web. The central part of the web is open and often quite sloppy in Meta segmentata, while the Garden Spider continues weaving till the centre in nice, ever smaller circles.

Female Meta segmentata showing the web, of which the central part is open

The males of Meta segmentata often gather in small groups close to the web of a female. Then they wait for prey to get entangled in the females web. All males try to reach the prey and the one that does immediately starts to roll they prey in silk, like a package. Then it tries to offer the package to the female. If she's interested she will start to consume the prey, while the male mates with her. Afterwards he often tries to pilfer the prey from her, using it on another female.


Males of Meta segmentata have much longer legs than the females.

Like many other spiders the animals are a bit variable: the colours are not always the same and the markings on the abdomen also vary slightly from individual to individual. This is makes identifying spiders a difficult task, especially in the field or en route. It is very important to look at other particulars too. For instance whether there is a web or not and the way it is build. Is the animal a runner or does it prefer to sit still. These facts should then be combined and often lead to the right genus or species.


Even the males of Meta segmentata are always slightly different in colour and markings.

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Meta mengei below often is the spitting image of Meta segmentata above as they are very closely related. It is very difficult to tell them apart without examining the genitals. Some clue you can get from the period when you find them: Meta mengei is abundant in summer, Meta segmentata in autumn. You can't be sure though, even in fall and winter grown-ups of Meta mengei appear regularly. Very often, though not always, there is a difference that can be seen easily on the underside of the female. Both animals have a black broad stripe, which stops at or before the epigyne in Meta segmentata and runs on in Meta mengei. That is why we are quite certain this is Meta mengei indeed. You should not look at the colouring or patterns on the upperside of the body, for these are extremely variable in both species. Meta segmentata however may be a bit bigger, the females may reach some 8 mm, while Meta mengei rarely is over 6 mm long. Both species are extremely common all over Europe. Meta mengei lives even more up north compared to Meta segmentata and can even be found in Iceland. This species is scientifically also known as Metellina mengei.

A common species all over Britain: Meta mengei. To the left a female, to the right a male.

This spider is very similar to Meta segmentata but is found in spring and early summer rather that late summer and autumn. Meta segmentata and Meta mengei belong to the family Tetragnathidae, genus Metidaeare and are the two most abundant spiders. They are about 4-8 mm long. They are easily recognized by the hole in the web and the broad band on their belly.

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Another common Orb Stretch Spider is Meta merianae below. Not only do the Orb Stretch Spiders look like the real Orb-web Spiders, their webs are very similar too. These however always have a hole in the middle and usually are much smaller than the Orb-web Spider's. Meta merianae loves dark and preferably damp places. In mountainous areas it builds its web by the entrance to caves, holes and cracks. It thus catches insects (flies mainly) that look for shelter from heat, rain or snow or a place to overwinter. In the low lands it is a species of dense forests and other damp, dark spots. There it builds its web near the entrance of holes, like rabbit holes. But also the entrance to nesting boxes will do. Sometimes the former scientific name Metellina merianae is still used. In the pictures below is a specimen overwintering.


Two pictures of an Orb Stretch Spider overwintering: Meta merianae.

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Orb-web Spiders (Araneidae)

Orb-web Spiders (Araneidae)

Orb-web Spiders (Araneidae)


The best known spiders in Western Europe are the Orb-web Spiders. Especially in autumn they are literally everywhere! They all build vertical webs, that can be very large. It consists of a number of basic wires. These are not sticky and used by the spider as foundation for the web. Attached to it are numerous sticky wires. One strong wire runs all through the net: the signaling wire. When the spider is not in de centre of the web, it is at the edge, hiding under a leaf or something with two legs holding the signaling wire. It senses the thrilling of the web through this wire when a prey gets stuck in the web. The best known spider in our part of the world is undoubtedly European Garden Spider. In the fall they are literally all over the place. Like with many spiders, the female is bigger than the male. The male has to be very cautious when approaching the female, because she will eat him without any hesitation or remorse whatsoever. Some male spiders have a heroic but macabre feature - they can still fertilize the eggs while being eaten!


This is the European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus), perhaps the most common spider in Europe. To the right is a male.

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European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)


The Common European Garden Spider is a beautiful and rather mysterioulsy coloured spider with marks on both sides. All depicted animals are females.

Outmost left the male and then three females of Europe's most famous spider.

To the left an adult female eating one of the wires: spiders do recycle their webs! To the right a group of newly hatched youngsters. The mother puts the eggs in a small cocon, which looks more like a little web actually. After hatching the young stay together for a short time in a small web they produce themselves. When attacked by a predator, e.g. a bird, they run away quickly in all directions, leaving the predator behind in a confused state of mind.


The young to the right do not look like their parents at all!

The Garden Spider is quite variable, just like many other orb-web spiders. Usually however the cross-like markings are quite visible. Sometimes however the cross seems to be absent. Especially near the end of the season animals appear to have lost the cross. Such animals then do look like related species, such as Araneus quadratus. To be sure about the species one has to look at the epigyne (the female ***ual organ). Luckily this is usually quite visible in orb-web spiders. Below an odd coloured Garden Spider, not showing much of a cross anymore.

This reddish brown Garden Spider looks a lot like similar other species of orb-web spiders.

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There are some six species of Araniella or Cucumber Spiders in central Europe. They are not difficult to identify as a group thanks to the red thorax combined with a yellowish green abdomen. It is much more difficult to tell the Araniella species apart among themselves, though. The spider below belongs to the twins which are very difficult to tell apart: Araniella cucurbitina or Araniella opisthographa.

One of the two almost identical Cucumber Spiders in our region.

Cucumber Spider (Araniella cucurbitina or Araniella opisthographa)

There are two species of small green Orb-web spiders, known as Cucumber Spiders. To be certain about their identity they have to be killed and examined under a microscope. I didn't do that, so I can not tell which species is in these pictures.

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Sheet Web Spiders (Linyphiidae)

Sheet Web Spiders (Linyphiidae)

Sheet Web Spiders (Linyphiidae)


The Sheet Web Spiders (also known as Linen Weavers or Money Spiders) build their web horizontally instead of vertically. They spend their entire life upside down attached to the underside of the web. The web is attached to plants and other objects with numerous strong threads. The victims touch one or more of this supporting wires when flying around and fall into the web. The spider bites its victims through the web. Below to the left you see a specimen that hangs at his web in the way common to this family. The species below to the right provides us with an intriguing question: does it make a horizontal or a vertical web? It makes a very thin, rather invisible web on the bark of a tree and trees do grow vertically. Very often the only way to notice the web is to look at the legs of the spider: they do not touch the bark at all. The spider is very well coloured and difficult to spot on the barks of beeches or birches.


Most Sheet Web Spiders, like the Lepthyphantes sp. to the left, spend their lives upside down. To the right a small but interesting linen weaver: Drapetisca socialis.

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There is a number of small species within the Linyphia genus which resemble the one in the picture below. It is a guesswork but it is most probably the Microlinyphia pusilla (male). The classification of spiders is being changed continually and it does not help with my research. The spot this animal in the photo does not give a clue either. One of the Gardensafari fans, Chris Court, suggested this might be a Microlinyphia pusilla. Without examining the genitals however this is a tentative identification. The photo depicts a male that is searching for a female. Such males can be encountered at the stragest places, not necessarily in the usual habitat of the species.


This is the Microlinyphia pusilla (male).

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Dwarfspiders (Erigonidae)

Dwarfspiders (Erigonidae)

Dwarfspiders (Erigonidae)

As the family name suggests, Dwarf Spiders are very small. They also resemble one another very much: most are shiny, black and without markings on braest or abdomen. And thus this is a very difficult group when it comes to identification. You really need a very good magnifying glass or sometimes even a microscope to check the tiny body parts. By some the whole group is considered to be just a subfamily of the Sheet Web Spiders, in which case the name Erigoninae is used. In Western Europe there are hundreds of Erigoninae species.

One of the many small Dwarf Spiders (Erigonidae sp.) which I might never be able to identify.

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Sac Spiders (Clubionidae)

Sac Spiders (Clubionidae)

Sac Spiders (Clubionidae)


In Western Europe there are about 20 to 30 species of Sac Spiders belonging to the Clubionidae family. They are also known as Foliage Spiders and are rather small usually in brown or grey shades. They are not easily identified by just a visual examination with a ***** eye because most of them lack distingushing markings. Sac spiders are nocturnal hunters. During the day and in the winter they will seek shelter under bark, stones or in a rolled up leaf. Here they make a firm web near the surface. Between web and surface there is just enough room for the spider to be relatively safe in. The overwintering species below can not be named from just a few pictures, so I've labeled it as Clubiona sp.

I had to wake up this Sac Spider (Clubiona sp.) from it's winter sleep to take some pictures.

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Luckily Bryan was able to identify the species below. It is a very common spider all over Europe, including the British Isles. Often found on trees and under loose bark, or on leaves of ivy, but in autumn frequently seen climbing walls and fences. Some 3 to 6 mm long and quite distinctive. One of the few Sack Spiders to be identified even in the field. Grown-up females are found all year long, but the best chance to find them is from May to November. Most males appear from April to July. The scientific name is also written as Clubiona compta.

A very common sac spider throughout Britain on ivy and under loose bark: Clubiona comta.

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Buzzing Spiders (Anyphaenidae)

Buzzing Spiders (Anyphaenidae)

Buzzing Spiders (Anyphaenidae)

In Europe this family encompasses one species only: the Buzzing Spider. It is named after the buzzing sound the males produce by drumming it's abdomen on a leaf in order to catch the female's attention. Because of the similarities with the Sac Spiders this family is often referred to as Sac Spiders as well. Females lay their eggs in a cocoon and make a small web close by from where they guard the cocoon. Just after laying eggs females are very difficult to identify: their abdomen becomes very small and dark grey with no markings at all. Otherwise this is a species you easily identify even in the field. Just slightly bigger than the previous species, reaching the length of 4 to 8 mm. Hunts sitting mainly on leaves of trees and bushes. Common in Europe and Britain, except for alluvial places.

The common name of this spider: Buzzing Spider (Anyphaena accentuata) is not used regularly.

Buzzing Spider (Anyphaena accentuata)

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Running Foliage Spiders (Liocranidae)

Running Foliage Spiders (Liocranidae)

Running Foliage Spiders (Liocranidae)


This spider family used to be part of the Sac Spider family, but nowadays is considered to be a family on their own. There are some 20 species in our region. The spiders are hardly ever seen as most species are nocturnal animals. Unseen doesn't mean unliked. Especially the members of the genus Agroeca are quite popular. They are the ones resposible for the lantern shaped egg cocoons hanging around. Two species are building these "elf lights": Agroeca proxima makes drop-like cocoons, while Agroeca brunnea makes the beautiful bell-shaped cocoons. These are usually attached to stems of plants, however, the one I have discovered was on the wall of the house. Sometimes you see white bells like the one in the picture, but usually the spider camouflages them by sticking sand grains onto the surface.

This cocoon of Agroeca brunnea is known as "light of the elves" in some parts of Europe.

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House Spiders

House Spiders

House Spiders


The spiders on this page are usually found in the house, on the walls, in attics or on fences rather then in the garden. This does not mean you will never find them outdoors. Jumping spiders for instance are also seen on tree trunks. Most species though are frequently encountered in or around the house. This division in spiders is by no means scientifically correct. Hopefully it will help you in finding a species on this website quickly.
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Funnel Web Spiders (Amaurobiidae)

Funnel Web Spiders (Amaurobiidae)

Funnel Web Spiders (Amaurobiidae)


In Holland there are three species of funnel web spiders. In the Southern Limburg and in Belgium there are two more species, but these are rare. Two Funnel Web Spiders live in or near houses. Actually there are two spider families, the species of which are referred to as house spiders. The Funnel Web Spiders, which usually have ordinary legs and which are shiny and the Cob-Web Spiders, which look bigger, because of their long legs which are hairy and therefor not shiny at all. Mind you: the Hobo Spider, an American spider that bites, is a Cob Web Spider. Do not be afraid of shiny house spiders as they are harmless! Funnel Web Spiders build their web during the night. You can observe the web building easily as they are not shy and the light of a strong torch will not disturb the construction of a web.

This is one of the many house spiders: Amaurobius similis. The female is on the left, the male is on the right.

Lace Weaver Spider (Amaurobius similis)


Lace Weaver Spider is called after the lace-like web it constructs at the entrance to a hole. It has a distinctive velvety abdomen and legs. The male is up to 7mm in size and slimmer than the female but otherwise similar. The female is up to 10mm in size.

Caution: this spider can bite causing painful swelling!

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The species below is also found on the buildings outdoors but rarely inside. It can often be spotted near windows which explains its Latin name Amaurobius fenestralis. Spiders often eat prey that is much bigger than they are. Very often you can see small spiders wrestling with much bigger crane flies. The one below to the left is eating a Honeybee. It is hard to tell the two Amaurobius species apart. Usually A. similis is the bigger of the two, slightly lighter in colour and found inside houses regularly. A. fenestralis is often found on outside walls, but also on trees, especially under loose bark, where A. similis is rare. Normally A. fenestralis has two or three v-shaped markings on the abdomen, where A. similis has four. Taking all this into account we are pretty sure the spider in the pictures below is Amaurobius fenestralis.


This house spider, Amaurobius fenestralis, often lives in chinks in walls, especially near window-frames, but it can also be found on the trees under loose bark.

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Below is a very young house spider, which probably is an Amaurobius fenestralis as well, but the young of these species are rather alike, so it could be a young Amaurobius similis as well. It was found in February, overwintering under a flower pot.


This is a young, overwintering house spider. Probably Amaurobius fenestralis, but it could be Amaurobius similis as well.

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Daddy Long Legs Spiders (Pholcidae)

Daddy Long Legs Spiders (Pholcidae)

Daddy Long Legs Spiders (Pholcidae)


This is a very small family of spiders. In Western Europe only three spieces can be found. Still this family is also known as Cellar Spiders or Vibrating Spiders. This shows that this is a very common spider indeed: it can be found in many homes, especially in dark rooms, such as atticks, cellars and bathrooms. You should be careful: the Daddy Long Legs Spider is a real spider and not a Harvestman, even though it has got the same kind of long legs. When another spider is approaching it starts to vibrate intensely (actually it is making small circles rapidly). The attacker then looses focus, making an attack very difficult. It is the defense strategy used by all members of the family. The Cellar Spider is a big eater and it even attacks much larger House Spiders and, if possible, even its own kind. In the picture below to the right it is eating a Common Housespider (Tegenaria atrica).


A very common spider in the house: the Daddy Long Legs Spider or Vibrating Spider or Cellar Spider (Pholcus phalangioides).

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Daddy Longlegs Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Daddy Longlegs Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Daddy Longlegs Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)


This spider is also known as the Cellar Spider, the Skull Spider and the Common Vibrating Spider

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Jumping Spiders (Salticidae)

Jumping Spiders (Salticidae)

Jumping Spiders (Salticidae)


Jumping spiders are named after their hunting method: they jump on their prey, often from quite a distance. Before jumping they attach a wire to the surface they are sitting on. In this way they can always return to the place they jumped from. They never weave a web though. Because they jump on their prey, jumping spiders have to be able to judge the distance. That can be best done with two (or four) eyes slightly apart thus giving a stereoscopic view. People and owls have two adjacent eyes just for that purpose. The jumping spiders have six eyes and two of them are extremely large. Their main function is to estimate distance. Lidy and André identified the male of the spider below to the left and Kurt knew that the other pictures were of a female of the same species. I was not able to find a common English name for this spider, so I presume it doesn't have one. The Zebra Spider below to your right is a very small species and it is less than one centimeter in size. You can often find it on sunny spots on walls. When you have its attention it will lift its head in order to follow every your movement with the big eyes. It can be 'tamed' and accepts food: it will gladly take a plant louse offered using a set of pincers.


To the left: this is a typical jumping spider: Marpissa muscosa. To the right: the Zebra Spider (Salticus scenicus) usually jumps to catch its prey.

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The Jumping Spider (Marpissa muscosa)

The Jumping Spider (Marpissa muscosa)

The Jumping Spider (Marpissa muscosa)

In the middle above is the male, the female in other photos.

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