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
"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 
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 (13.2.2026) 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 |