Philodromidae, also known as philodromid crab spiders and running crab spiders, is a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of
araneomorph
The Araneomorphae (also called the Labidognatha) are an infraorder of spiders. They are distinguishable by chelicerae (fangs) that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae (tarantulas and their cl ...
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 ...
s first described by
Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell
Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell (3 May 1830 – 22 December 1901) was a Swedish arachnologist.
Thorell studied spiders with Giacomo Doria at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale de Genoa. He corresponded with other arachnologists, such as Octavius P ...
in 1870 (then known as subfamily Philodrominae within
Thomisidae
The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 170 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of th ...
). It contains over 500 species in thirty genera.
The most common
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
is ''
Philodromus
''Philodromus'' is a genus of philodromid crab spiders. Spiders in this genus are distinctively flattened.
The more than 250 described species are distributed throughout the Holarctic region, with few species reaching into more southern regions. ...
'' which is widespread, similar to ''Ebo''.
Other common genera include the elongate grass-dwelling ''
Tibellus'' and the widespread ''
Thanatus'', which includes the
house crab spider that commonly captures flies on and in buildings.
Description
Philodromids have a crab-like shape due to the first two pairs of legs being oriented sideways (laterigrade).
This is superficially similar to the "true" crab spiders (Thomisidae), such as ''
Misumena vatia
''Misumena vatia'' is a species of crab spider with a holarctic distribution. In North America, it is called the goldenrod crab spider or flower (crab) spider,Acorn, John and Sheldon, Ian. (2003). ''Bugs of Ontario'' Edmonton: Lone Pine Publish ...
,'' but these families are not as closely related as previously thought.
Unlike crab spiders, the legs are generally similar in size, though the second leg pair may be significantly longer than the first pair.
This is most evident in ''
Ebo'', where the second pair of legs are twice as long as the first pair in some species.
Philodromids have scopula only at the tips of the tarsi (unlike
sparassids) and the eyes are in two curved rows with the posterior row wider than the anterior row.
In terms of colouration, they are usually cream to light brown and have faint longitudinal stripes.
Ecology
Philodromidae are active predators and often occur on the stems and leaves of plants.
Some occur only on
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
trees and others only on
conifers.
A small number of species live in deserts.
Instead of building webs to catch prey, they hunt by ambush.
Genera
, the
World Spider Catalog
The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...
accepts the following genera:
*''
Apollophanes''
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 — North America, Asia, Trinidad, Panama, Ecuador
*''
Bacillocnemis''
Mello-Leitão, 1938 — Argentina
*''
Berlandiella''
Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil, Argentina
*''
Cleocnemis''
Simon, 1886 — South America
*''
Ebo''
Keyserling, 1884 — Asia, North America, Argentina
*''
Eminella''
Özdikmen, 2007 — Argentina
*''
Fageia''
Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil
*''
Gephyrellula''
Strand, 1932 — Brazil
*''
Gephyrina''
Simon, 1895 — South America, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
*''
Gephyrota''
Strand, 1932 — Asia, Africa, Australia
*''
Halodromus''
Muster, 2009 — Spain, Asia, Africa
*''
Hirriusa''
Strand, 1932 — Namibia, South Africa
*''
Metacleocnemis''
Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil
*''
Pagiopalus''
Simon, 1900 — Hawaii
*''
Paracleocnemis
''Paracleocnemis'' is a genus of Argentina, Argentinian Philodromidae, running crab spiders that was first described by R. D. Schiapelli & B. S. Gerschman in 1942. it contains only two species, found only in Argentina: ''Paracleocnemis apostoli, ...
''
Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942 — Argentina
*''
Pedinopistha
''Pedinopistha'' is a genus of Hawaiian running crab spiders that was first described by Ferdinand Anton Franz Karsch in 1880.
Species
it contains five species, found only on Hawaii:
*'' Pedinopistha aculeata'' (Simon
Simon may refer to:
P ...
''
Karsch, 1880 — Hawaii
*''
Petrichus''
Simon, 1886 — South America
*''
Philodromops''
Mello-Leitão, 1943 — Brazil
*''
Philodromus
''Philodromus'' is a genus of philodromid crab spiders. Spiders in this genus are distinctively flattened.
The more than 250 described species are distributed throughout the Holarctic region, with few species reaching into more southern regions. ...
''
Walckenaer, 1826 — North America, Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, Caribbean, Central America, Venezuela
*''
Procleocnemis''
Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil
*''
Psellonus''
Simon, 1897 — India
*''
Pseudopsellonus''
Balogh, 1936 — Papua New Guinea
*''
Pulchellodromus''
Wunderlich, 2012 — Algeria, Europe, Asia
*''
Rhysodromus''
Schick, 1965 — Asia, North America
*''
Suemus''
Simon, 1895 — Sierra Leone, Vietnam, South Africa
*''
Thanatus''
C. L. Koch, 1837 — Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, South America
*''
Tibellus''
Simon, 1875 — North America, Asia, Africa, South America, Cuba, Italy, Australia
*''
Tibitanus''
Simon, 1907 — Namibia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea
*''
Titanebo
''Titanebo'' is a genus of North American Philodromidae, running crab spiders that was first described by Willis J. Gertsch, Carl Eduard Adolph Gerstaecker in 1933.
Species
it contains fourteen species, found only in Mexico and the United States ...
''
Gertsch, 1933 — United States, Mexico
*''
Vacchellia''
Caporiacco, 1935 — Karakorum
''
incertae sedis
' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...
''
* ''
Euthanatus'' Petrunkevitch, 1950 † (fossil)
* ''
Filiolella'' Petrunkevitch, 1955 † (fossil)
* ''
Medela'' Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil)
See also
*
List of Philodromidae species
This page lists all described species of the spider family Philodromidae accepted by the World Spider Catalog :
A ''Apollophanes''
''Apollophanes (spider), Apollophanes'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898
* ''Apollophanes aztecanus, A. aztecanus'' Don ...
References
External links
Platnick, N.I. 2003. World Spider CatalogIdentification of European genera and species
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10992
Araneomorphae families
Taxa named by Tamerlan Thorell