Xysticus obscurus Collett, 1877
Description
Male palp with 2 striking tegular apophyses, the median is hammer-shaped with a massive prolateral branch and blunt tip, the lateral apophysis forms a partially opened tube with bevelled tip. Tibial apophysis bipartite, ventral apophysis large and square-edged, retrolateral apophysis very characteristic in lateral view with broad base and strikingly narrowed apically. Epigyne with circular epigynal groove, posterior side not dark. Vulva laterally with pocket-shaped depressions. Prosoma margined fine dark or black. Female: coloured in different velvety beige and sandy tones. Male: brown to dark brown. Cheeks in female with 3 longitudinal stripes and bright meandered in both sexes. Sternum brown or cream-beige medially and dark brown and yellow-brown on margin. Chelicerae brown proximally, beige and cream patterned distally, female: frontally with especially long spine and further robust spines, male: with long, fine spine. Legs brown to dark brown (female: sandy beige to brown beige), dorsally with fine, brown longitudinal stripes and median, white longitudinal line. Opisthosoma brown with irregular white margin and posteriorly thin, interrupted white to brown-beige transverse bands. Spinnerets brown and margined by fine white line.
Body length male: 5.8-6.8 mmBody length female: 7.5-8.6 mm
Additional information
On shrubbery and trees, small bushes and low vegetation, only in higher levels, up to 2000 m
Distribution
Figures
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Thaler & Knoflach 1995b)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Thaler & Knoflach 1995b)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Palpal tibia, retrolateral view
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Epigyne
(Thaler & Knoflach 1995b)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Jantscher 2001a)
Epigyne
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Epigyne
(Morka unpubl.)
Epigyne
(Morka unpubl.)
Vulva
(Thaler & Knoflach 1995b)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jantscher 2001a)
Vulva
(Løvbrekke unpubl.)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Morka unpubl.)
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 
Biteniekytė M, Rėlys V (2012) The checklist of Lithuanian spiders (Arachnida: Araneae). Biologija 57: 148-158
Cera I (2018) The checklist of Latvian spiders (Arachnida: Araneae). Environmental and Experimental Biology 16: 139-152
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.
Hirna A, Gnelitsa V, Zhukovets E (2016) A checklist of the spiders (Araneae) of the Chornohora Mountain massif (Ukrainian Carpathians). Arachnologische Mitteilungen 51: 16-38
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
Ivanov V V (2013) The checklist of Belarusian spiders (Arachnida, Araneae). Zoology and Ecology 4: 293-311
Jantscher E (2001a) Revision der Krabbenspinnengattung Xysticus C.L. Koch, 1835 (Araneae, Thomisidae) in Zentraleuropa. Dissertation, Univ. Graz, 328 pp., 81 pls.
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
Koponen S, Marusik Y M, Tanasevitch A V (1998) New data on the spider fauna of the Polar Urals (Aranei). Arthropoda Selecta 6: 109-119
Kronestedt T (2001) Checklist of Spiders (Araneae) in Sweden [Preliminary version February 2001]
Løvbrekke H (unpubl.)
Morka G H (unpubl.)
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
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
Thaler K, Knoflach B (1995b) Xysticus obscurus Collett - eine arktoalpine Krabbenspinne neu für Österreich (Arachnida, Araneida: Thomisidae). Berichte des Naturwissenschaftlich-Medizinischen Vereins in Innsbruck 82: 145-152
Thaler K, Knoflach B (2004b) Zur Faunistik der Spinnen (Araneae) von Österreich: Gnaphosidae, Thomisidae (Dionycha pro parte). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 36: 417-484
Vilbaste A (1987) Eesti Ämblikud (Aranei). Annoteeritud nimestik. Estonian spiders (Aranei). An annotated check list. Valgus, Tallinn. 113 pp. & 512 maps on 67 unpag. pages
WSC (2026) World Spider Catalog. Version 27. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (20.5.2026) doi: 10.24436/2
Updates
| 12-11-2025 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 07-08-2025 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 04-06-2025 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 28-10-2022 | Image insert | |
| 27-09-2022 | Image insert | |
| 21-09-2022 | Gallery image insert | |
| 11-01-2021 | Image insert | |
| 18-12-2020 | Image insert | |
| 07-01-2019 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 12-07-2018 | Image insert | |
| 30-09-2015 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 28-04-2014 | Distribution update | Detail |