''Phylloneta impressa'' is a species of comb-footed spider from the genus ''

Phylloneta ''Phylloneta'' is a genus of comb-footed spiders formerly considered a sub-genus of ''Allotheridion'', and raised to genus status in 2008. The type species was first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1884 as ''Theridion pictipes''. it contai ...

'' with a

Holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical region ...

distribution.

Description

The body length of the male is 2.5-5.5 mm, female body length is 3.5-5.5 mm. Very similar to ''

Phylloneta sisyphia ''Phylloneta sisyphia'', the mothercare spider, is a species of comb-footed spider from the genus '' Phylloneta.'' Description The female is 2.5-5.5 mm in length, males are 2.5-4.5mm. The prosoma is reddish yellow with a broad, brown-black ...

'', the prosoma is reddish yellow, with a broad, brown-black margin and a median stripe. The

sternum The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury. Sh ...

is reddish yellow and has a dark margin. The

chelicerae The chelicerae () are the mouthparts of the subphylum Chelicerata, an arthropod group that includes arachnids, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. Commonly referred to as "jaws", chelicerae may be shaped as either articulated fangs, or similarly ...

are reddish yellow, and the legs are reddish yellow, annulated with brown. The

opisthosoma The opisthosoma is the posterior part of the body in some arthropods, behind the prosoma (cephalothorax). It is a distinctive feature of the subphylum Chelicerata (arachnids, horseshoe crabs and others). Although it is similar in most respects to a ...

is yellowish or reddish, with a dark brown pattern consisting of spots on the back.

Distribution

This species has a

distribution, it is widespread in western Europe although it has not been recorded in Iceland. In Britain it is common in south and central England and becomes scarcer or even absent as one moves west and north.

Biology

''Phylloneta impressa'' builds a similar retreat to that of ''P. sisyphia'' and in the similar habitats. Both species can sometimes be found together on

gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...

, heather and thorny bushes, below its retreat the spider spins the typical tangle web which gives some members of the family

Theridiidae Theridiidae, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders, is a large family of Araneomorphae, araneomorph spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. This diverse, globally distributed family includes ...

the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

tangle-web spiders. ''Phylloneta impressa'' has also been found on

rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

florets in the upper reaches of

saltmarsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...

es. The adult males have been recorded between May and August, adult females between June and October, and even on one exceptional occasion in December. The males peak in occurrence during June and July, the females in July and August, which is later than ''P. sisyphia''. Adult males have been found mate-guarding immature females in the retreats. A single, spherical blue-green egg-sac is produced by the female in August and September, again slightly later than P. sisyphia, and are kept within the retreat. When they emerge the juveniles are fed orally by the female, in a similar way to ''P. sisyphia''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q150446 Theridiidae Holarctic spiders Spiders described in 1881