Scytodes thoracica (Latreille, 1802)
Description
Male
Bulbus with a long, tapering embolus. Prosoma 2 mm long. Prosoma yellowish, equally large or larger than opisthosoma, dorsal line ascending posteriorly, pattern brown-black. Chelicerae weakly developed. Legs yellow-brown to black, annulated. Opisthosoma yellowish with brown-black pattern.
Body length male: 3.5-4 mmFemale
Prosoma 3 mm long. Cephalothorax almost as large as opisthosoma. Prosoma pale yellowish, with black pattern. Sternum pale yellow, labium slightly darker. Legs pale yellowish. Opisthosoma pale yellowish, with pairs of black patches on midline, and small black blotches on the side.
Body length female: 4-5.5 mmAdditional information
Outdoor in the southern parts of Europe, in heathland, scrub, rocky littoral, gardens, under stones, mainly in buildings, active during the night. Slow and skulking movements, does not build webs, but spits poison and adhesive from modified poison glands through large cheliceral opening on prey up to 20 mm away, which then is stuck to the surface.
Since a few decades, this species shows some spreading tendencies within Europe. Nevertheless, it shall not be listed as alien or invasive because it is native for Europe.
Distribution
Phenology
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Figures
Pedipalp
(Loksa 1969)
Pedipalp
(Locket & Millidge 1951)
Pedipalp
(Bürgis 1990)
Pedipalp
(Roberts 1995)
Pedipalp
(Wiehle 1953)
Pedipalp
(Locket & Millidge 1951)
Epigyne
(Bürgis 1990)
Epigyne
(Wiehle 1953)
Vulva
(Wiehle 1953)
Habitus
(Locket & Millidge 1951)
Habitus
(Loksa 1969)
Prosoma, lateral view
(Brændegaard 1966)
Prosoma, lateral view
(Loksa 1969)
Eyes, dorsal view
(Loksa 1969)
Eyes, dorsal view
(Wiehle 1953)
Sternum and coxa
(Wiehle 1953)
Sternum
(Locket & Millidge 1951)
Chelicerae, ventral view
(Wiehle 1953)
Chelicerae, ventral view
(Loksa 1969)
Chelicerae, ventral view
(Locket & Millidge 1951)
Habitus
(Bürgis 1990)
Habitus
(Bürgis 1990)
Habitus
(Wiehle 1953)
Distribution List
References
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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. (unpubl.) Provisional list of spiders of North Africa. Database excerpt Aug. 2019
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Brændegaard J (1966) Edderkopper: Eller Spindlere I Danmarks Fauna 72: 1-224
Bürgis H (1990) Die Speispinne Scytodes thoracica (Araneae: Sicariidae). Ein Beitrag zur Morphologie und Biologie. Mitteilungen der Pollichia 77: 289-313
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Loksa I (1969) Pokok I-Araneae I. Fauna Hungariae 97: 1-133
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Polchaninova N, Prokopenko E (2019) An updated checklist of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Left-Bank Ukraine. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 57: 60-64 & App
Roberts M J (1995) Collins Field Guide: Spiders of Britain & Northern Europe. HarperCollins, London, 383 pp.
Samu F, Szinetár C (1999) Bibliographic check list of the Hungarian spider fauna. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 11: 161-184
Wiehle H (1953) Spinnentiere oder Arachnoidea (Araneae), IX. Orthognatha-Cribellata-Haplogynae, Entelegynae (Pholcidae, Zodariidae, Oxyopidae, Mimetidae, Nesticidae). Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 42: 1-150
WSC (2021) World Spider Catalog. Version 21.5. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (03.01.2021) doi: 10.24436/2