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 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

This was in the same set of pitfall traps (again in propylene glycol, so no live photos). As it appeared to be immature (the palps were expanded but not developed so I'm guessing an immature male) I didn't waste too much time on it, but the evident spinnerets seems suggestive of the same family and the leg colouration seems to eliminate most other members of the family. Note that the appearance of a pale central line down the carapace in the first photo seems to be a vaguery of the photo, or at least it is not visible as I examine the animal through a low-powered microscope (see second photo).

Drassyllus pusillus or Drassyllus lutetianus showing carapace, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 29th to 31st March 2024