Philodromidae

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).<ref name="thorell1870" /> It contains over 500 species in thirty genera.<ref name="wsc" />

The most common genus is Philodromus which is widespread, similar to Ebo.<ref name="wsc" /> 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.<ref name="kulcz1903" />

Description

• P. aureus
  P. aureus
• Philodromid in Washington, USA
  Philodromid in Washington, USA
• Philodromus sp. from Maryland, USA
  Philodromus sp. from Maryland, USA

Philodromids have a crab-like shape due to the first two pairs of legs being oriented sideways (laterigrade).<ref name="araneae" /> 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.<ref name="homann" />

Unlike crab spiders, the legs are generally similar in size, though the second leg pair may be significantly longer than the first pair.<ref name="araneae" /><ref name="homann" /> This is most evident in Ebo, where the second pair of legs are twice as long as the first pair in some species.<ref name="homann" />

• Thanatus vulgaris
  Thanatus vulgaris
• File:Anterior View of Thanatus vulgaris (22867493191).jpg

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.<ref name="araneae" /> In terms of colouration, they are usually cream to light brown and have faint longitudinal stripes.<ref name="arachne" />

Ecology

Philodromidae are active predators and often occur on the stems and leaves of plants.<ref name="eol" /> Some occur only on deciduous trees and others only on conifers.<ref name="eol" /> A small number of species live in deserts.<ref name="eol" /> Instead of building webs to catch prey, they hunt by ambush.<ref name="arachne" />

File:Tibellus oblongus qtl1.jpg

Tibellus oblongus with damselfly prey

Genera

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

• Philodromus cespitum
  Philodromus cespitum
• Thanatus atratus
  Thanatus atratus
• Thanatus formicinus
  Thanatus formicinus
• Tibellus hollidayi
  Tibellus hollidayi

Template:As of, this family includes 31 genera:<ref name="wsc" /> Template:Div col

• 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)

See also

• List of Philodromidae species

External links

• Template:Inaturalist taxon
• Identification of European genera and species