Ordinary boot spider

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ordinary boot spider
Common boot spider (Trachyzelotes pedestris), female

Common boot spider ( Trachyzelotes pedestris ), female

Systematics
Order : Spiders (Araneae)
Subordination : Real spiders (Araneomorphae)
Superfamily : Gnaphosoidea
Family : Flat-bellied spiders (Gnaphosidae)
Genre : Boot spiders ( Trachyzelotes )
Type : Ordinary boot spider
Scientific name
Trachycelotes pedestris
( CL Koch , 1837)

The common boot spider or boot flat-bellied spider ( Trachyzelotes pedestris ), also known as the orange-legged flat-bellied spider , is a spider from the family of flat-bellied spiders (Gnaphosidae). The xerophilic (dry-loving) species is widespread in the Palearctic and is also the only representative of the boot spider ( Trachyzelotes ) that also occurs in Central Europe .

features

The female of the common boot spider reaches a body length of 6.6 to 9.4 and the male one of 4.5 to six millimeters, which makes it a medium-sized member of this family. The strikingly colored species, like other boot spiders ( Trachyzelotes ), has a narrow body. The entire basic color of the common boot spider is dark rust-brown to black-brown. The two sexes look very similar to each other and do not show any pronounced gender dimorphism .

The carapace (back shield of the prosoma or front body) appears shiny. The eye position of the common boot spider corresponds to that of other flat-bellied spiders. The rear row of eyes is straight and the eyes are approximately the same distance from one another. The middle pair of eyes is slightly larger than the side ones. A characteristic that is present in all boot spiders is the strong thorns on the front of the chelicerae (jaw claws) that are also present in this species . Although the two rows of these spines are edentulous, there are clear tubercles (nodular swellings) between them at close intervals . The sternum (breast shield of the prosoma) is entirely black.

Another particularly noticeable feature that the common boot spider shares with other representatives of the genus is the color of the short and strong legs, which, apart from the femora (thighs) and coxae (hip joints), have a light yellow to orange basic color. This has led to the sometimes used common name orange-legged flat-bellied spider. With the exception of the metatarsi (heel members of the tarsi or foot members) and the tibia (splints) of the first and second pair of legs, the legs have spines on the ventral side. In addition, unlike those of the other pairs of legs, the femora of the first pair of legs are not brightly spotted. Furthermore, the first two pairs of legs have no scopulae (hair on the tarsi ), but only two median rows of short ventral spines on the metatarsi and tarsi.

On the opisthosoma (abdomen), which is otherwise colored like most of the body , the yellow-brown stigmata (respiratory openings) of the book lungs (respiratory organs) are visible. In contrast to the female, the male has a dark brown scutum (sclerotized or hardened area) dorsally , which covers more than a third of the upper side without reaching its center.

Structure of the sexual organs

The bulbi (male genital organs) each have a broad apophysis ( chitinized process) with a strong and long drawn out thorn on the inside that is directed distally. The embolus (insertion organ of the globe) is directed in the longitudinal direction of the pedipalp.

The epigyne (female sexual organ) has a clearly visible median plate and a deep pit that ends slightly pointed at the back. The epigyne is delimited at the front edge by an arched ridge.

Similar species

Female of Latreilles black spider ( Zelotes latreillei )

The common boot spider is very similar to other types of boot spiders, none of which are found in Central Europe .

Other similar species can be found in the genera of the combbones ( Drachyllus ) and the black spiders ( Zelotes ), which also belong to the flat-bellied spider family, for example, Latreille's black spider ( Zelotes latreillei ), the common boot spider, is very much in terms of shape and color of the prosoma and opisthosoma similar. From the completely black colored black spiders, the boot spiders and the common boot spider can be clearly distinguished by the color of their legs.

The species of the three genera can usually only be reliably distinguished from one another by genital morphological features.

Occurrence

The distribution area of ​​the common boot spider includes Europe , the Caucasus , Turkey and Iran . In Europe, the species is particularly represented in the west and in Central Europe. It is not present in Novaya Zemlya and almost all areas of Russia with the exception of the south of the European part of the country and the Kaliningrad Oblast . The species is also absent in Iceland , Finland , Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland , Sardinia , Lithuania , Belarus , the Republic of Moldova , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Kosovo , the Greek island of Crete , the European part of Turkey and Armenia .

In the United Kingdom , the habitats of the common boot spider are limited to the south of the country and the range extends almost diagonally between the areas of Herefordshire and Norfolk . The species is more common here on the coastal regions than inland.

In Germany , due to its xerophilia , the common boot spider can be found especially in warmer areas of western, central and southern Germany. The species is much rarer in northern Germany. In Central Europe, the common boot spider is the only established type of boot spider. Another species, Kulczynski's boot spider ( Trachyzelotes kulczynskii ), was only found in Germany when it was first described in 1902 by Friedrich Wilhelm Bösenberg and then no longer in all of Central Europe, making the common boot spider the only established representative of the genus there.

Habitats

Open, dry and sunny areas like this limestone lawn in Dover ( Kent in south-east England ) are inhabited by the common boot spider.

The common boot spider shares with many other flat-bellied spiders the preference for warm, open and dry habitats and particularly prefers those with little vegetation and south-facing. The species inhabits rock steppes , quarries, semi-arid and dry grasslands , juniper heaths , vineyards , ruderal areas , litter , dry and moist heaths inland as well as dry and open limestone grasslands .

More rarely, the common boot spider can also be found in dry sparse forests , on sunny forest edges , sandy grassland, on roadsides and even in human dwellings. The altitude limit for the occurrence of the species is 700 meters above sea level.

Threat and protection

In general, the populations of the common boot spider are stable and show no declining developments, however the declines in limestone grasslands and meadows along the coast are seen as a threat to the species. Nevertheless, the IUCN in the United Kingdom lists the common boot spider in the category LC ("least concern"), which means that it is not subject to any protection status there.

The same applies to the overall situation of the species in Germany, where it is classified as "not endangered" in Germany's Red List of Endangered Species, Animals, Plants and Fungi . On the other hand, the stocks of the common boot spider in Germany were viewed critically some time ago and it was classified in category 3 ("endangered") in the German Red List for 2016. Thus the stocks here have increased compared to before.

The general population of the common boot spider is not recorded by the IUCN.

Way of life

Like the majority of the flat-bellied spiders, the common boot spider is one of the nocturnal representatives of this family and creates typical residential webs under stones or in the moss layer in suitable habitats for flat-bellied spiders . This is where the spiders spend most of the day, although they can also be active at this time. In contrast to most other flat-bellied spiders, the common boot spider is not exclusively ground-dwelling, but can also be found on stalks of grass during its activity time.

With other flat-bellied spiders, however, this species also shares the jerky locomotion in which it occasionally and suddenly comes to a standstill. In the meantime, it is usually difficult to spot on the ground due to its coloring, which the spider uses as camouflage.

Hunting behavior and catch of prey

The hunting behavior of the common boot spider resembles that of other flat-bellied spiders and thus this species does not create spider webs for the purpose of catching prey, but hunts them freely as a hunter . As usual for flat-bellied spiders, prey is either jumped at directly and incapacitated with a poison bite or, should they prove to be defensible, immobilized by spider silk attached to the ground and the prey (see also the section " Hunting methods " in the article Flat-bellied spiders).

The range of prey of the common boot spider has not yet been adequately researched. It is known that various insects are preyed on from it.

Phenology and reproduction

The activity time of the common boot spider is between March and July in the male and between April and September in the female. The peak of activity is in June for both sexes. As with many other flat-bellied spiders, nothing is known about the reproductive behavior of the common boot spider.

Systematics

When it was first described in 1837 by the author Carl Ludwig Koch , the common boot spider was incorporated into the no longer existing genus Melanophora and was given the name Melanophora pedestris . By Norman I. Platnick and John Alan Murphy the species was at a revision of the genus of the boots spiders ( Trachyzelotes under the name) 1984 pedestris Trachyzelotes in this genus found which also after a new revision of the genus by Gershom Levy is still valid in 1998 .

The species name pedestris comes from the Latin language and means roughly walking , which can be explained by the common boot spider's willingness to wander.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Trachyzelotes pedestris (CL Koch, 1837) from araneae - Spiders of Europe, accessed on July 28, 2020.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Heiko Bellmann: The cosmos spider guide. Over 400 species in Europe. Kosmos Naturführer, Kosmos (Franckh-Kosmos), 2nd edition, 2016, p. 240, ISBN 978-3-440-14895-2 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Trachyzelotes pedestris (CL Koch, 1837) at the Wiki der Arachnologische Gesellschaft e. V., accessed on July 28, 2020.
  4. ↑ Michael John Roberts: The Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland , Volume 2, Brill Archive, 1985, p. 72, ISBN 9789004076587 .
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Trachyzelotes pedestris (CL Koch, 1837) from Natur in NRW, accessed on July 28, 2020.
  6. ↑ a b c L. Bee, G. Oxford, H. Smith: Britain's Spiders: A Field Guide , Princeton University Press, 2017, p. 327, ISBN 9780691165295 .
  7. ↑ a b c d e f Trachyzelotes pedestris (CL Koch, 1837) at the British Arachnological Society, accessed on July 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ a b c d Trachyzelotes pedestris (CL Koch, 1837) at Naturspaziergang, accessed on July 28, 2020.
  9. ↑ Trachyzelotes pedestris (CL Koch, 1837) at the Red List Center, accessed on July 28, 2020.
  10. ↑ Trachyzelotes pedestris (CL Koch, 1837) at Global Biodiversity Information Facility , accessed on July 28, 2020.
  11. ↑ Trachyzelotes pedestris (CL Koch, 1837) in the WSC World Spider Catalog , accessed July 28, 2020.

literature

  • Heiko Bellmann: The cosmos spider guide. Over 400 species in Europe. Kosmos Naturführer, Kosmos (Franckh-Kosmos), 2nd edition, 2016, ISBN 978-3-440-14895-2 .
  • Michael John Roberts: The Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland , Volume 2, Brill Archive, 1985, ISBN 9789004076587 .
  • L. Bee, G. Oxford, H. Smith: Britain's Spiders: A Field Guide , Princeton University Press, 2017, ISBN 9780691165295 .

Web links

Commons : Common boot spider  - collection of images, videos and audio files