''Ero cambridgei'' is a
pirate spider
Pirate spiders, members of the family (biology), family Mimetidae, are Araneomorphae, araneomorph spiders which typically feed on other spiders.
The family (biology), family Mimetidae contains roughly 200 species divided among 12 genus, genera, ...
species with
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa.
The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
distribution. It is notably found in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
.
[The checklist of Lithuanian spiders (Arachnida:
Araneae). Marija Biteniekytė and Vygandas Rėlys, Biologija, 2011, Vol. 57, No. 4, pages 148–158, ]
Description
Adult males have a body length of 2.5–3.0 mm (0.10–0.12 in), females 2.5–3.5 mm (0.10–0.14 in). The
carapace
A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...
is pale brown, with a dark brown to black ocular region. It bears a dark brown median line, which usually widens at the junction between the head and thoracic area, as well as dark brown marginal lines which vary in width. It has a distinctive central dome, and strong spines are usually present towards the head area. The abdomen is globular in shape, with downward facing
spinnerets
A spinneret is a silk-spinning organ of a spider or the larva of an insect. Some adult insects also have spinnerets, such as those borne on the forelegs of Embioptera. Spinnerets are usually on the underside of a spider's opisthosoma, and are ...
and a pair of flattish tubules on the dorsal side. It is creamy brown to orange in colour, and mottled with black, especially towards the anterior. The legs are pale brown, with clear dark annulations. The metatarsi of the front two pairs of legs are curved and, along with the tarsi, bear strong spines. The front two pairs of legs are distinctly longer than the rear two. They have eight eyes, with the median eyes forming a rough square and the lateral eyes being clustered to either side.
Habitat
They are found on bushes, trees and low vegetation in a variety of habitats, especially in areas where other spiders, their main prey, are found.
See also
*
List of Mimetidae species
References
External links
Mimetidae
Spiders of Europe
Spiders described in 1911
Palearctic spiders
{{Araneomorphae-stub