Gnaphosa muscorum (L. Koch, 1866)
Description
Bulbus with robust, bent apophysis (can break off). Embolus long and whip-like. Epigyne with scapus wider than long. Prosoma bright red-brown to black-brown, eye region darker. Legs darker. Opisthosoma bright red-brown to black-brown.
Body length male: 7.3-9.5 mmBody length female: 7.5-15 mm
Additional information
In open and dry coniferous forests and heathland, under moss, bark or stones during the day, up to 2500 m.
Distribution
Phenology
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
 |  |
Figures
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Ovtsharenko et al. 1992)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Ovtsharenko et al. 1992)
Pedipalp
(Ovtsharenko et al. 1992)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Grimm 1985)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Grimm 1985)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Almquist 2007)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Almquist 2007)
Palpal tibia, retrolateral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Palpal tibia, dorsal view
(Almquist 2007)
Epigyne
(Ovtsharenko et al. 1992)
Epigyne
(Ovtsharenko et al. 1992)
Epigyne
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Epigyne
(Grimm 1985)
Epigyne
(Almquist 2007)
Vulva
(Ovtsharenko et al. 1992)
Vulva, ventral view
(Tullgren 1946)
Vulva
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Grimm 1985)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Almquist 2007)
Distribution List
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 (2007) Swedish Araneae, part 2 – families Dictynidae to Salticidae. Insect Systematics & Evolution, Supplement 63(2006): 285-601
Biteniekytė M, Rėlys V (2012) The checklist of Lithuanian spiders (Arachnida: Araneae). Biologija 57: 148-158
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
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
Esyunin S L, Efimik V E (1996a) Catalogue of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranei) of the Urals. KMK Scientific Press, Moscow, 228 pp.
Gajdoš P, Svatoň J, Sloboda J (1999) Katalóg pavúkov Slovenska. Catalogue of Slovakian spiders. Ústav kr. ekol. SAV, Bratislava, 337 pp.
Grbić G, Hänggi A, Krnjajić S (2021) Spiders (Araneae) of Subotica Sandland (Serbia): additional arguments in environmental protection. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 67: 15-61
Grimm U (1985) Die Gnaphosidae Mitteleuropas (Arachnida, Araneae). Abhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg (NF) 26: 1-318
Hirna A, Kanarsky Y, Yavornytsky V (2020) [Spiders and carabid beetles as the elements of arthropod’s diversity in ecosystems of Lva-Stvyga inter-river area (Rivne province, Ukraine)]. Visnyk of Lviv University, Biological Series 82: 89-100
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
Kielhorn K-H (2016) Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Webspinnen und Weberknechte in Berlin und Brandenburg. Märkische Entomologische Nachrichten 17(2): 261-286
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
Kronestedt T (2001) Checklist of Spiders (Araneae) in Sweden [Preliminary version February 2001]
Le Peru B (2007) Catalogue et répartition des araignées de France. Revue Arachnologique 16: 1-468
Løvbrekke H (unpubl.)
Maurer R, Hänggi A (1990) Katalog der schweizerischen Spinnen. Documenta Faunistica Helvetiae 12
Otto S (2022) Caucasian spiders. A faunistic database on the spiders of the Caucasus Ecoregion. Database version 02.2022. Internet: caucasus-spiders.info.
Ovtsharenko V I, Platnick N I, Song D X (1992) A review of the North Asian ground spiders of the genus Gnaphosa (Araneae, Gnaphosidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 212: 1-88
Ponomarev A V (2022) Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of the southeast of the Russian Plain: catalogue, the fauna specific features. SSC RAS Publishers, Rostov-on-Don, 640 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
Thaler K, Knoflach B (2004b) Zur Faunistik der Spinnen (Araneae) von Österreich: Gnaphosidae, Thomisidae (Dionycha pro parte). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 36: 417-484
Tullgren A (1946) Svensk spindelfauna. 3. Egentiliga spinddlar. Araneae Fam 5-7. Clubionidae, Zoridae och Gnaphosidae. Stockholm (Entomol Fören.): 141 pp.
Vasiliev A I, Mikhailov K G (2023) Annotated checklist of spiders (Araneae) of the Republic of Moldova. Invertebrate Zoology 20: 307-342
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 (20.5.2026) doi: 10.24436/2