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Drassyllus pusillus/lutetianus

Formerly placed in the genus Zelotes.


This was in a pitfall trap (in propylene glycol, so no live photos). I keyed it to family and genus (Zelotes) using the old Collins guide. The table on page 322 of Britain's Spiders helped narrow it down to pusillus or lutetianus on the basis of the leg colouration (tarsus and metatarsus orange contrasting with the entirety of the rest of the legs being blackish brown (except the joints). I was unable to see enough detail of the epigyne to identify it to species, and on clearing the abdomen no further detail was apparent so I'm assuming it was an immature, the epigyne not yet being fully developed. As far as I understand it therefore we cannot be certain if it is pusillus or lutetianus but I think pusillus is much more likely.

Drassyllus pusillus/lutetianus Drassyllus pusillus/lutetianus Drassyllus pusillus/lutetianus Drassyllus pusillus/lutetianus Drassyllus pusillus/lutetianus Drassyllus pusillus/lutetianus Drassyllus pusillus/lutetianus
Drassyllus pusillus or Drassyllus lutetianus showing carpace, eyes, spinners and epigynal region (before and after clearing), Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 29th to 31st March 2024