''Ebrechtella tricuspidata'' is a
species of crab spiders belonging to the family
Thomisidae.
Subspecies
Subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
include:
* ''Ebrechtella tricuspidata tricuspidata''
(Fabricius, 1775) -
Palearctic realm
* ''Ebrechtella tricuspidata concolor''
(Caporiacco, 1935) -
Karakorum
Distribution
This species is widespread in the
Palearctic realm (
Europe,
Turkey,
Caucasus,
Russia to
Central Asia,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Korea, and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
). It is not found in
Great Britain.
Habitat
These medium-sized crab spiders inhabit dry meadows and sunny forest edges, waiting for prey well camouflaged in flower and foliage.
[Spiders of Europe]
/ref>
Description
''Ebrechtella tricuspidata'' can reach approximately a body length of in females, while males are smaller, reaching a body length of .[ Roberts M. J. (1995): Collins Field Guide. Spiders of Britain & Northern Europe] The cephalothorax ( Prosoma) is light green in females, with sometimes indeterminate reddish markings on the back of the whitish-yellowish abdomen. These reddish markings usually consist of two broad rear-connected bands. Also legs are light green.
Males are clearly different-looking ( sexual dimorphism). They have light brown cephalothorax with bright median stripe and the first two pairs of legs, while the bottle-shaped abdomen ( Opisthosoma) is usually pale green, laterally with dark brown markings. [
]
Biology
Adults from both sexes can be found in May and June.
Gallery
File:Ebrechtella tricuspidata.jpg, Male, side view
File:2013.06.04.-12-Viernheimer Heide Viernheim--Dreieck-Krabbenspinne-Weibchen.jpg, Female, dorsal view
File:Misumenops tricuspidatus w 080514.jpg, Female, preparing a leaf for egglaying
File:Spider which catches the insect.gif, Female, catching a fly
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q288564
Thomisidae
Spiders described in 1775
Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius