A
largely all black spider and very similar (if not visually identical) to
a number of other species, including Zelotes latreillei. The
giveaway in suspecting something different on finding the individual
illustrated, were the light brown tarsi and metatarsi of all legs. These
were difficult to see without a hand lens, but showed up strikingly well
in the resulting photographs. Based on the one showed below,
Drassyllus pusillus is less reluctant to rush away in the manner of
Zelotes latreillei.
Not often recorded in Nottinghamshire, with most records coming
from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust reserves in the north-east of the
county and recorded by the former county spider recorder Howard
Williams. The one illustrated here, was found in small accumulations of
Larch needle and grass litter taken from the base of a group of Larches
Larix decidua at Woodthorpe Park Nottingham in April 2023. |
