Silometopus ambiguus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1906)
Description
Tibial apophysis with short, straight process. Prosoma brown to dark brown, radial stripes and margin black. Legs yellow-brown. Opisthosoma black, leather-like.
Body length male: 1.3-1.6 mmBody length female: 1.5-2.2 mm
Additional information
In dune areas, tolerates flooding with sea water.
Figures by Wiehle (1960a) und Locket & Millidge (1953) of Silometopus curtus have been transferred to Silometopus ambiguus because of misidentification (Locket et al. 1974, Blick 2014)
Character states from linyphiid key
Distribution
Phenology
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
 |  |
Figures
Pedipalp
(Roberts 1987)
Pedipalp
(Wiehle 1960a)
Pedipalp
(Wiehle 1960a)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Palpal tibia
(Roberts 1987)
Palpal tibia, dorsal view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Palpal tibia, dorsal view
(Bosmans & Samu 2020)
Tibial apophysis
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Tibial apophysis
(Wiehle 1960a)
Tibial apophysis
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Prosoma, lateral view
(Heimer & Nentwig 1991)
Prosoma, lateral view
(Roberts 1987)
Epigyne
(Heimer & Nentwig 1991)
Epigyne
(Roberts 1987)
Epigyne
(Roberts 1987)
Epigyne
(Roberts 1987)
Epigyne
(Roberts 1987)
Epigyne
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Epigyne
(Wiehle 1960a)
Epigyne
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Epigyne
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Epigyne
(Bosmans & Samu 2020)
Vulva
(Heimer & Nentwig 1991)
Vulva
(Locket et al. 1974)
Vulva
(Wiehle 1960a)
Vulva, ventral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Fjellberg unpubl.)
Vulva, ventral view
(Bosmans & Samu 2020)
Distribution List
"No references" does not mean that the species does not occur in this country, but that we have not yet inserted the reference for it. We are working on it.
References
Aakra K, Hauge E (2003) Checklist of Norwegian spiders (Arachnida: Araneae), including Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Norwegian Journal of Entomology 50: 109-129 
Agnarsson I (1996) Íslenskar köngulær Fjölrit Náttúrufræðistofnunar 31: 1-175
Barrientos J A, Arco L del, Castañé C, Agustí N, Jauset A M, Batuecas I, Alomar Ó (2019b) Arañas epiedáficas (Aranjeae [sic]) en plantaciones de melocotoneros del Segrià, el Bajo Cinca y La Litera (España). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 34: 41-50
Blick T (2014) The long-lasting story of the wrong naming of Silometopus ambiguus as S. curtus (Araneae: Linyphiidae). Arachnologische Mitteilungen 47: 45-48
Blick T, Finch O-D, Harms K H, Kiechle J, Kielhorn K-H , Kreuels M, Malten A, Martin D, Muster C, Nährig D, Platen R, Rödel I, Scheidler M, Staudt A, Stumpf H, Tolke D (2016) Rote Liste und Gesamtartenliste der Spinnen (Arachnida: Araneae) Deutschlands. 3. Fassung, Stand April 2008, einzelne Änderungen und Nachträge bis August 2015. Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt 70/4: 383-510
Bosmans R, Samu F (2020) Confirmation of Silometopus curtus (Araneae: Linyphiidae) in Hungary. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 60: 27-29
Bosmans R, Van Keer K (2017) Een herziene soortenlijst van de Belgische spinnen (Araneae). Nieuwsbrief van de Belgische Arachnologische Vereniging 32: 39-69
Deltshev C, Vrenozi B, Blagoev G, Lazarov S (2011b) Spiders of Albania – faunistic and zoogeographical review (Arachnida: Araneae). Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 63: 125-144
Fjellberg A (unpubl.) .
Heimer S, Nentwig W (1991) Spinnen Mitteleuropas. Paul Parey Berlin
Helsdingen P J van (2025a) Catalogus van de Nederlandse spinnen. Versie 2025.1. 249 pp.
Koponen S, Fritzén N R, Pajunen T (2016) Checklist of spiders in Finland (Araneae). 6th version, December 2016, online at http://biolcoll.utu.fi/arach/checklist_of_spiders_in_Finland.htm
Lavery A (2019) A revised checklist of the spiders of Great Britain and Ireland. Arachnology 18: 196-212
Le Peru B (2007) Catalogue et répartition des araignées de France. Revue Arachnologique 16: 1-468
Lissner J, Jensen J-K, Hansen L J, Simonsen W, Kelduni R, Nissen K (2016b) An updated checklist of spiders (Araneae) of the Faroe Islands. Norwegian Journal of Entomology 63: 197-240
Locket G H, Millidge A F (1953) British spiders. Vol. II. Ray Society, London, 449 pp.
Locket G H, Millidge A F, Merrett P (1974) British Spiders, Volume III. Ray Society, London, 315 pp.
Løvbrekke H (unpubl.)
Nekhaeva A A (2020) On the spider fauna (Arachnida: Aranei) of the Kanin Peninsula and Kolguev Island, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Arthropoda Selecta 29: 387-398
Roberts M J (1987) The spiders of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 2: Linyphiidae and checklist. Harley Books Colchester, England, 204 pp.
Scharff N, Gudik-Sørensen O (2006) Katalog over Danmarks edderkopper (Araneae). Catalogue of the spiders of Denmark (Araneae). Entomologiske Meddelelser 74: 3-71
Wiehle H (1960a) Spinnentiere oder Arachnoidea (Araneae). XI. Micryphantidae-Zwergspinnen. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 47: 1-620
WSC (2026) World Spider Catalog. Version 27. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (13.2.2026) doi: 10.24436/2