Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Filistatidae » Filistatinella
Photo#609851
tiny band-legged crevice weaver - Filistatinella - female
Copyright © 2012 Valerie G. Bugh

tiny band-legged crevice weaver - Filistatinella - Female
Manchaca, Travis County, Texas, USA
January 27, 2012
Size: about 3 mm
This must be Filistatinella crassipalpis, since it looks like a filistatid but has the wrong markings (and is very tiny). It matches a couple of descriptions I found in references, especially the banded legs, shape of carapace, colors, and white hairs on carapace. It was found low on an outside wall during a cool morning and didn't seem to mind my camera getting close for pictures. The reflection is from a little flashlight I use to help get more light, since my camera's flash no longer works. Thanks to Joe Lapp for confirming that I was looking in the correct family.

Images of this individual: tag all
tiny band-legged crevice weaver - Filistatinella - female tiny band-legged crevice weaver - Filistatinella - female
Contributed by Valerie G. Bugh on 28 January, 2012 - 9:35am
Last updated 30 January, 2012 - 9:53am

Moved
Moved from Crevice Weavers. It sounds like everyone is pretty sure about this. I tried to find a drawing or photo reference but couldn't. I filled out the genus page with all the info I could find & moved the images here based on the other undescribed species mentioned in one of the references.
… Lynette Elliott, 30 January, 2012 - 9:53am

 
Update on ID for this one
I just read a PDF of a revision of Filistatinella by Magalhaes & Ramirez, 2017. They have named the central TX species F. howdyall, so that is what this must be. The habitus images of all the species look pretty much the same so location will be the best clue to identifications of average photos.
… Valerie G. Bugh, 4 May, 2020 - 8:35am

 
..
I think you could even move it to species, because as far as I know (I skimmed the material pretty quickly) there is (so far?) only the one species present in the States .
… Kevin Pfeiffer, 30 January, 2012 - 11:12am

 
I'm not sure
SONA says there are 4 undescribed species that range into central CA. We have a similar issue with Aculepeira where Rod has actually shown me one of these undescribed species. Without his guidance I would have stuck it in A. packardi.

Since I have no way of knowing what those undescribed species look like I don't know how I could be certain of placement on this one. Maybe I'm being too nitpicky?

here's the Aculepeira...
… Lynette Elliott, 30 January, 2012 - 4:14pm

 
..
Oh, okay; I missed that. Makes sense then to perhaps first wait.
… Kevin Pfeiffer, 30 January, 2012 - 4:28pm

Thanks for the thanks!
That was sweet for you to thank me for having the same thoughts as you. I'd be curious to hear whether you ever confirm the species. I've never seen anything like it.

Kevin, Val lives only a few miles from me, and everyone relies on her for IDs. And I'm still pulling Mecaphesa out of ashe juniper!
… Joe Lapp, 29 January, 2012 - 10:15pm

..
Looks good to me. Hope you can get a new flash some day.

-K

(Easy to become jealous, seeing photos taken in January.)
… Kevin Pfeiffer, 28 January, 2012 - 11:08am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2023 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo