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 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
, the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera:
Apollophanes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 — North America, Asia, Trinidad, Panama, Ecuador Bacillocnemis Mello-Leitão, 1938 — Argentina Berlandiella Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil, Argentina Cleocnemis Simon, 1886 — South America Ebo Keyserling, 1884 — Asia, North America, Argentina Eminella Özdikmen, 2007 — Argentina Fageia Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil Gephyrellula Strand, 1932 — Brazil Gephyrina Simon, 1895 — South America, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Gephyrota Strand, 1932 — Asia, Africa, Australia Halodromus Muster, 2009 — Spain, Asia, Africa Hirriusa Strand, 1932 — Namibia, South Africa Metacleocnemis Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil 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 — North America, Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, Caribbean, Central America, Venezuela Procleocnemis Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil Psellonus Simon, 1897 — India Pseudopsellonus Balogh, 1936 — Papua New Guinea Pulchellodromus Wunderlich, 2012 — Algeria, Europe, Asia Rhysodromus Schick, 1965 — Asia, North America Suemus Simon, 1895 — Sierra Leone, Vietnam, South Africa Thanatus C. L. Koch, 1837 — Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, South America Tibellus Simon, 1875 — North America, Asia, Africa, South America, Cuba, Italy, Australia Tibitanus Simon, 1907 — Namibia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea Titanebo Gertsch, 1933 — United States, Mexico Vacchellia Caporiacco, 1935 — Karakorum
incertae sedis
Euthanatus Petrunkevitch, 1950 † (fossil) Filiolella Petrunkevitch, 1955 † (fossil) Medela Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil)