Xysticus desidiosus Simon, 1875
Description
Male
Male palp with characteristic, pad-shaped tutaculum (apophysis supporting tip of embolus). 2 bulbal apophyses, one ventral, hook-shaped, apophysis bent at 90°, that is slightly transverse and a lateral one, that is chisel-like, straight. Cymbium and bulbus roundish. Tibial apophysis situated ventrally and basally bullous, cut at an angle distally, further retrolateral apophysis broad at base and tapering toward tip. Embolus rather massive. Epigyne characteristically margined dark and strongly sclerotised, with median septum.
Prosoma dark brown to light brown. Female: brown, red-brown, sand-coloured to olive brown. With white to cream-coloured, V-shaped sign, with bright, cream-coloured eye field. Sternum light brown, or beige, partly also cream marbled, margin dark brown, longish oval, scarcely spined. Chelicerae proximally brown, afterwards broadly cream-coloured and distally beige, with a long, thin spine. Legs light to dark brown, hardly any white parts, except the dorsal longitudinal stripes. Opisthosoma partly contrast-rich, white and brown, with white margin and vaguely marked off brown to beige oval or leaf-shaped pattern. 5 visible sigilla. Spinnerets light brown to brown.
Female
Epigynal pits variable in shape, often closed with dark, hard glandular secretion. Vulva has 2 sac-like structures separated from each other, without visible ducts. Chelicerae with a long and a shorter spine, rarely with additional bristles.
Body length female: 4.6-7.8 mmAdditional information
Under stones in alpine meadows and shrubby heathland, locations between 960-2300 m
Distribution
Figures
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jantscher 2001a)
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
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
Branco V V, Morano E, Cardoso P (2019) An update to the Iberian spider checklist (Araneae). Zootaxa 4614: 201-254
Canard A, Devogel P, Oger P, Rollard C, Villepoux O, Ysnel F (2025) Description of a male Zimirina corsica sp. nov. (Arachnida, Araneae) – the first Prodidomidae species reported on the European territory of France. ZooKeys 1250: 285-291
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.
Dentici A (2019) Third contribution to the knowledge of Sicilian spider fauna (Arachnida Araneae). Biodiversity Journal 10: 117-120
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
Jantscher E (2001a) Revision der Krabbenspinnengattung Xysticus C.L. Koch, 1835 (Araneae, Thomisidae) in Zentraleuropa. Dissertation, Univ. Graz, 328 pp., 81 pls.
Kostanjšek R, Kuntner M (2015) Araneae Sloveniae: a national spider species checklist. ZooKeys 474: 1-91
Le Peru B (2007) Catalogue et répartition des araignées de France. Revue Arachnologique 16: 1-468
Maurer R, Hänggi A (1990) Katalog der schweizerischen Spinnen. Documenta Faunistica Helvetiae 12
Simon E (1898c) Sur quelques Arachnides du Portugal appartenant au Musée de zoologie de l'Academie polytechnique de Pôrto. Annaes des Sciencias Naturaes, Porto 5: 92-102
Thaler K, Knoflach B (2004b) Zur Faunistik der Spinnen (Araneae) von Österreich: Gnaphosidae, Thomisidae (Dionycha pro parte). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 36: 417-484
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
WSC (2026) World Spider Catalog. Version 27. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (13.2.2026) doi: 10.24436/2