Tree crab spider
| Tree crab spider | ||||||||||||
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Tree crab spider ( Xysticus lanio ), female |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Xysticus lanio | ||||||||||||
| CL Koch , 1835 |
The tree crab spider ( Xysticus lanio ), also called dark crab spider or reddish bush crab spider , is a species of spider from the genus of real crab spiders ( Xysticus ) in the family of crab spiders (Thomisidae). The species is widespread and common in Central Europe .
features
The species is one of the medium-sized crab spiders. Males have a body length of 4–5 mm, females reach 6–7 mm. Like many crab spiders, the species shows a clear sexual dimorphism in terms of color and pattern.
The front body ( prosoma ) of the female is dark on the upper side, in the middle there is a wide, light longitudinal band, which shows a dark spot that is broad at the front and tapering to the rear, i.e. approximately V-shaped. In contrast to many other species of the genus Xysticus, this pointed spot is only slightly separated and ends well in front of the rear body. The back of the body ( opisthosoma ) is intensely red on the sides and shows an indistinct, brownish leaf markings on the top. The legs are darkly spotted on a light beige background.
Males are more contrasting and darker overall. In the two front pairs of legs, the femora and roughly the proximal half of the tibia are black, the lower part of the front legs and the rear pairs of legs are brown. The back of the body shows strong, strongly interrupted, dark leaf markings on a whitish background.
In Central Europe, typical individuals can hardly be confused with other species of the genus.
distribution and habitat
The tree crab spider inhabits large parts of the Palearctic from Ireland and Portugal in the west to eastern Siberia and Japan in the east. In north-south direction, the distribution extends from Scandinavia to Greece and further east to Iran . The distribution area includes the temperate to Mediterranean zone. The tree crab spider is found all over Europe. The species mainly inhabits rich and slightly damp deciduous forests and their edges. It usually stays on the trunks and in the treetops. Sexually mature animals are found from May to August.
Danger
The species is widespread and common in suitable habitats. In Germany it is classified as "safe" in the Red List .
swell
literature
- Heiko Bellmann : Cosmos Atlas Arachnids of Europe . 3rd edition, 2006. Kosmos, Stuttgart, ISBN 978-3-440-10746-1 .
- Ralph Platen, Bodo von Broen, Andreas Herrmann, Ulrich M. Ratschker, Peter Sacher: Total species list and red list of spiders, harvestmen and pseudoscorpions of the state of Brandenburg (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones) with information on frequency and ecology. Nature conservation and landscape management in Brandenburg 8, booklet 2 (supplement); 1999.
Individual evidence
- ↑ see arages picture gallery
- ^ Map of the worldwide distribution of the tree crab spider from the British Arachnological Society
Web links
Tree crab spider in the World Spider Catalog
- W. Nentwig, A. Hänggi, C. Kropf & T. Blick (Eds.): Spinnen Mitteleuropas - Identification key, genus Xysticus. on-line