Araniella alpica (L. Koch, 1869)
Description
Male palp with very robust median apophysis, medially with strongly protruding, wing-like structure, therefore appearing forked. Epigyne only at base completely covered by scapus, so that the lateral epigynal plates are visible. Prosoma brown. Legs brown. Opisthosoma dorso-laterally with (0) 1-2 pairs of black spots, often with a narrow bright longitudinal band on each side near median axis. Ventrally mostly with 4 strongly contoured, large bright spots that are arranged in squares within the green median area.
Body length male: 4.5-5.5 mmBody length female: 6-8 mm
Additional information
In the lower parts of conifers, in the mountains, in the North also in lowlands
Distribution
Phenology
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
 |  |
Figures
Pedipalp
(Roberts 1995)
Pedipalp
(Loksa 1972)
Pedipalp
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Pedipalp
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Wiehle 1931)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Wiehle 1931)
Pedipalp
(Heimer & Nentwig 1991)
Pedipalp
(Spasojevic et al. 2016)
Pedipalp in detail
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Pedipalp
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Rückl 2023b)
Median apophysis
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Coxa I
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Epigyne
(Roberts 1995)
Epigyne
(Wiehle 1931)
Epigyne
(Loksa 1972)
Epigyne
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Epigyne
(Loksa 1969)
Epigyne, posterior view
(Almquist 2006)
Epigyne, ventral view
(Spasojevic et al. 2016)
Epigyne/vulva, dorsal view
(Spasojevic et al. 2016)
Epigyne, ventral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Epigyne, posterior view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Epigyne
(Morka unpubl.)
Epigyne
(Rückl 2023b)
Vulva
(Locket et al. 1974)
Vulva
(Locket et al. 1974)
Vulva, ventral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Opisthosoma, ventral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Coxa I
(Loksa 1972)
Opisthosoma, dorsal view
(Loksa 1972)
Opisthosoma, dorsal view
(Locket & Millidge 1953)
Distribution List
"No references" does not mean that the species does not occur in this country, but that we have not yet inserted the reference for it. We are working on it.
References
Aakra K, Hauge E (2003) Checklist of Norwegian spiders (Arachnida: Araneae), including Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Norwegian Journal of Entomology 50: 109-129 
Almquist S (2006) Swedish Araneae, part 1 – families Atypidae to Hahniidae (Linyphiidae excluded). Insect Systematics & Evolution, Supplement 62(2005): 1-284
Arnold K (2001) Beitrag zur Spinnenfauna (Arachnida, Araneae) des Fürstentums Liechtenstein. Berichte der Botanisch-Zoologischen Gesellschaft Liechtenstein-Sargans-Werdenberg 28: 211-244
Blagoev G, Deltshev C, Lazarov S, Naumova M (2018) The spiders (Araneae) of Bulgaria. Version: August 2018. National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Online at http://www.nmnhs.com/spiders-bulgaria/ (accessed on 10.9.2018)
Blick T, Finch O-D, Harms K H, Kiechle J, Kielhorn K-H , Kreuels M, Malten A, Martin D, Muster C, Nährig D, Platen R, Rödel I, Scheidler M, Staudt A, Stumpf H, Tolke D (2016) Rote Liste und Gesamtartenliste der Spinnen (Arachnida: Araneae) Deutschlands. 3. Fassung, Stand April 2008, einzelne Änderungen und Nachträge bis August 2015. Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt 70/4: 383-510
Bosmans R, Van Keer J, Russell-Smith A, Hadjiconstantis M, Komnenov M, Bosselaers J, Huber S, McCowan D, Snazell R, Decae A, Zoumides C, Kielhorn K-H, Oger P (2019c) Spiders of Cyprus (Araneae). A catalogue of all currently known species from Cyprus. Newsletter of the Belgian Arachnological Society 34, Suppl. 1: 1-173
Bosmans R, Van Keer K (2017) Een herziene soortenlijst van de Belgische spinnen (Araneae). Nieuwsbrief van de Belgische Arachnologische Vereniging 32: 39-69
Branco V V, Morano E, Cardoso P (2019) An update to the Iberian spider checklist (Araneae). Zootaxa 4614: 201-254
Caporiacco L di (1932b) Aracnidi raccolti in Albania dal dott. Pietro Parenzan. Atti dell'Accademia Scientifica Veneto-Trentino-Istriana (3) 23: 93-98
Cera I (2018) The checklist of Latvian spiders (Arachnida: Araneae). Environmental and Experimental Biology 16: 139-152
Danışman T, Kunt K B, Özkütük R S, Coşar İ (2025a) The checklist of the spiders of Turkey. Version 2025 [last updated 01 December 2025], online at http://www.spidersofturkey.info
Deltshev C D, Ćurčić B P M, Blagoev GA (2003b) The spiders of Serbia. Inst. Zoology, Fac. Biology, Belgrade & Inst. Zoology, Bulg. Acad. Sci., Sofia. 832 pp.
Deltshev C, Vrenozi B, Blagoev G, Lazarov S (2011b) Spiders of Albania – faunistic and zoogeographical review (Arachnida: Araneae). Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 63: 125-144
Gajdoš P, Svatoň J, Sloboda J (1999) Katalóg pavúkov Slovenska. Catalogue of Slovakian spiders. Ústav kr. ekol. SAV, Bratislava, 337 pp.
Heimer S, Nentwig W (1991) Spinnen Mitteleuropas. Paul Parey Berlin
Isaia M, Tolve M, Pantini P (2025) Araneae.it: 2.0: the new updated version of the digital catalog of the Italian spiders and other arachnids (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones, Scorpiones, Pseudoscorpiones, Palpigradi, Solifugae). Fragmenta Entomologica 57: 197-204
Komnenov M (2014) Spider fauna of the Osogovo Mt. Range, Northeastern Macedonia. Fauna Balkana 2: 1-267
Koponen S, Fritzén N R, Pajunen T (2016) Checklist of spiders in Finland (Araneae). 6th version, December 2016, online at http://biolcoll.utu.fi/arach/checklist_of_spiders_in_Finland.htm
Kostanjšek R, Kuntner M (2015) Araneae Sloveniae: a national spider species checklist. ZooKeys 474: 1-91
Kovblyuk M M, Kastrygina Z A (2015b) Updated catalogue of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranei) of the Crimea. Ukainska Entomofaunistyka 6(2): 1-81
Kronestedt T (2001) Checklist of Spiders (Araneae) in Sweden [Preliminary version February 2001]
Lavery A (2019) A revised checklist of the spiders of Great Britain and Ireland. Arachnology 18: 196-212
Le Peru B (2007) Catalogue et répartition des araignées de France. Revue Arachnologique 16: 1-468
Locket G H, Millidge A F (1953) British spiders. Vol. II. Ray Society, London, 449 pp.
Locket G H, Millidge A F, Merrett P (1974) British Spiders, Volume III. Ray Society, London, 315 pp.
Loksa I (1969) Pokok I-Araneae I. Fauna Hungariae 97: 1-133
Loksa I (1972) Pokok II-Araneae II. Fauna Hungariae 109: 1-112
Løvbrekke H (unpubl.)
Martynovchenko F A, Mikhailov K G (2014) Spiders (Aranei) of Teberda State Reserve: fauna and biotopic distribution. Euroasian Entomological Journal 13: 355-371
Maurer R, Hänggi A (1990) Katalog der schweizerischen Spinnen. Documenta Faunistica Helvetiae 12
Miasnikou (unpubl.) .
Milosevic B (2002) Aranea – Popis vrsta – Checklist. Hrvatsko entomološko društvo – Inventar entomofaune Hrvatske [Aranea – List of species – Checklist. Croatian Entomological Society – Inventory of Croatian entomofauna].
Morka G H (unpubl.)
Naumova M, Lazarov S, Deltshev C (2019a) Faunistic diversity of the spiders in Montenegro (Arachnida: Araneae). Ecologica Montenegrina 22: 50-89
Otto S (2022) Caucasian spiders. A faunistic database on the spiders of the Caucasus Ecoregion. Database version 02.2022. Internet: caucasus-spiders.info.
Roberts M J (1995) Collins Field Guide: Spiders of Britain & Northern Europe. HarperCollins, London, 383 pp.
Rozwałka R, Stanska M (2008) Check-list of spiders (Araneae) of Poland. 1. December 2008. online at http://www.arachnologia.edu.pl/en/species/8-spiders-of-poland.html
Rückl K (2023b) V čem tkví nenápadnost křižáka nenápadného? [What does the inconspicuousness of Araniella inconspicua consist in?]. Pavouk 54: 12-21
Růžička V, Řezáč M (2022a) Seznam pavouků České republiky. List of spiders of the Czech Republic. Online at https://www.arachnology.cz/seznam-pavouku-cr-26.html and https://www.arachnology.cz/en/seznam-pavouku-cr-26.html
Sacher P (1990) Untersuchungen über Zahl, Anordnung und taxonomischen Wert der dorso-lateralen Abdominalpunkte in der Gattung Araniella (Arachnida: Araneae). Acta Zoologica Fennica 190: 345-349
Samu F, Szinetár C (1999) Bibliographic check list of the Hungarian spider fauna. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 11: 161-184
Scharff N, Gudik-Sørensen O (2006) Katalog over Danmarks edderkopper (Araneae). Catalogue of the spiders of Denmark (Araneae). Entomologiske Meddelelser 74: 3-71
Spasojevic T, Kropf C, Nentwig W, Lasut L (2016) Combining morphology, DNA sequences, and morphometrics: revising closely related species in the orb-weaving spider genus Araniella (Araneae, Araneidae). Zootaxa 4111: 448-470
Thaler K, Knoflach B (2003) Zur Faunistik der Spinnen (Araneae) von Österreich: Orbiculariae p.p. (Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiosomatidae, Uloboridae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 35: 613-655
Vilbaste A (1993) Spiders (Aranei) of the Viidumae State Nature Reserve. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Biology 42: 201-212
Vrenozi B, Jäger P (2013) Spiders (Araneae) from Albania and Kosovo in the collection of Carl Friedrich Roewer. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 46: 17-26
Weiss I, Petrișor A (1999) List of the spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Romania. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 41: 79-107
Wiehle H (1931) Spinnentiere oder Arachnoidea, VI. 27: Familie Araneidae. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 23: 47-136
WSC (2026) World Spider Catalog. Version 27. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (13.2.2026) doi: 10.24436/2
Zhukovets E M (2017) [Spiders (Arachnida, Aranei) of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha]. Riftur Print, Minsk, 272 pp. [N.B.: presumably publ. in Jan. 2019]
Updates
| 04-07-2025 | Image insert | |
| 02-07-2025 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 04-06-2025 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 04-02-2025 | Distribution insert | Detail |
| 07-10-2022 | Image insert | |
| 07-10-2022 | Gallery image insert | |
| 08-03-2022 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 19-06-2021 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 20-07-2020 | Distribution insert | Detail |
| 05-09-2017 | Image insert | |
| 31-05-2016 | Image insert | |
| 23-05-2016 | Image insert | |
| 21-10-2015 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 13-05-2014 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 01-12-2013 | Distribution update | Detail |