| Latticed Dome Sheetweaver (Neriene clathrata (Sundevall, 1830)) |
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Scientific name: Neriene clathrata (Sundevall, 1830) Common name: Latticed Dome Sheetweaver French name: Order: Araneae Family: Linyphiidae Size: 3.4 to 4.8 mm for males, 3.7 to 5.0 mm for females. Biotope: Close to the ground in shaded environments, litter and low vegetation in varied habitats, meadows, marshes, heaths, bushes, forests, parks and gardens. Web: Small irregular horizontal web with some kind of bag or tube in one corner. The spider is often positioned in the centre. Observation period: All year round. Geographic area: Europe, Asia east to Japan, North Africa, North America. |
Neriene clathrata exhibits sexual dimorphism. The male has a very dark reddish brown cephalothorax, almost black. The upper eyes are aligned and the middle ones are a little larger and raised. The legs are plain, reddish brown to olive. The femora of legs I have two spines on the top and one on the inner side. The femora of legs II and III also have two spines on the top. Those on legs IV have three. The abdomen is black with two white spots on the front. The palpal bulbs have a small, thin hook at the back. The female has the cephalothorax and legs similar to the male. The abdomen is yellowish on the sides and brownish on top. It is marked laterally by a dark brown zigzag line which can also appear as an alignment of small triangles. The central part is marked by a dark brown centre line which can be replaced by chevrons or triangles. |
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Here is a male. This photo allows us to see the small hook at the back of the palpal bulbs and the two spines on the dorsal side of femora I which are characteristic of the species. We also see a white spot at the front of the abdomen. I also counted the spines on the dorsal surfaces of the other femurs. I found 2 on legs II and 3 on legs IV. However I only see one on legs III. |
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This other view does not provide any additional important information except that the two spines on the dorsal surfaces of the femurs of legs I are even better visible. |
André Bon March 2025