''Tenuiphantes tenuis'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

belonging to the family

Linyphiidae Linyphiidae, spiders commonly known as sheet weavers (from the shape of their webs), or money spiders (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and in Portugal, from the superstition that if such a spider is seen running on you, ...

. Its native distribution is reported as Europe, Macaronesia, Northern Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Central Asia. The species was introduced to USA, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand from Europe where it is found throughout. The body length excluding legs is about . 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 dark brown. The

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

often has a distinctive pattern, usually with clear black spots, and ''T. tenuis'' is more slender than other species in the family.Savory, Theodore (1945) ''The Spiders & Allied Orders of the British Isles'', Warne, p. 112. The legs are brown and lack annulations. ''T. tenuis'' is usually found in low vegetation, moss, and leaf litter where it feeds on various insects including '' Listronotus bonariensis''.

References

External links

Lepthyphantes tenuis
Spider and Harvestman Recording Scheme website Linyphiidae Spiders described in 1852 Spiders of Europe Spiders of Asia Spiders of Africa Spiders of Macaronesia Taxa named by John Blackwall {{Linyphiidae-stub