Paroligolophus agrestis

Paroligolophus agrestis is an extremely abundant species and easy to identify. Its abdominal pattern is based on a greyish silvery background, with brown and often reddish markings. The medial dorsal band is usually well-defined and has yellow, brown or red edges. It is this tendency to a red colour that provides the first means of identification. On the ventral side the genital operculum supplies the second : a small semicircular notch on its anterior margin, as if a bite had been taken out of it.

The legs are not long and their femora are rounded, a fact the helps to distinguish this species from the next. The trident of spines, a feature of this sub-family which is a great help in distinguishing the species, is as described in a comparative note below. The species is widespread all over Britain, and in Europe generally.