Philodromidae, also known as philodromid crab spiders and running crab spiders, is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell in 1870 (then known as subfamily Philodrominae within Thomisidae). It contains over 500 species in about thirty genera.
The most common genus is Philodromus 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, 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 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
, this family includes 31 genera and 531 species:
Apollophanes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – China, Korea, Russia, North to South America Celerrimus Lecigne, Cornic, Oger & Van Keer, 2019 – Spain, France Cleocnemis Simon, 1886 – Argentina, Brazil Ebo Keyserling, 1884 – India, Kazakhstan, Russia, North America, Argentina Emargidromus Wunderlich, 2012 – Asia, Russia, Portugal Eminella Özdikmen, 2007 – Argentina Fageia Mello-Leitão, 1929 – Panama, South America Gephyrellula Strand, 1932 – South America Gephyrina Simon, 1895 – St. Vincent, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela Gephyrota Strand, 1932 – Africa, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Australia Halodromus Muster, 2009 – North Africa to Middle East, Western Asia, Canary Islands, Spain Hirriusa Strand, 1932 – Botswana, Namibia, South Africa Pagiopalus Simon, 1900 – Hawaii Paracleocnemis Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942 – Argentina Pedinopistha Karsch, 1880 – Hawaii Petrichus Simon, 1886 – South America Philodromops Mello-Leitão, 1943 – Brazil Philodromus Walckenaer, 1826 – Worldwide Procleocnemis Mello-Leitão, 1929 – Brazil Psellonus Simon, 1897 – China, Philippines, India Pseudopsellonus Balogh, 1936 – New Guinea Pulchellodromus Wunderlich, 2012 – Mediterranean to Kazakhstan, Iran, Tibet Rhysodromus Schick, 1965 – Egypt, Cape Verde, St. Helena, Asia, Canary Islands, Russia, Greece, North America, Central Asia to China, Mediterranean to India, North Africa Sinodromus Yao & Liu, 2024 – China Suemus Simon, 1895 – Mozambique, Eswatini, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, East Africa Thanatus C. L. Koch, 1837 – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Peru, East Africa, Europe to Kazakhstan, North Africa. Introduced to South Africa, Australia Tibelloides Mello-Leitão, 1939 – South America Tibellus Simon, 1875 – Africa, Asia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Italy, France, Cuba, North America, Australia, Argentina, Chile, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa Tibitanus Simon, 1907 – Namibia, South Africa, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau Titanebo Gertsch, 1933 – North America Vacchellia Caporiacco, 1935 – Pakistan
incertae sedis Euthanatus Petrunkevitch, 1950 † (fossil) Filiolella Petrunkevitch, 1955 † (fossil) Medela Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil)
References
External links
Identification of European genera and species