Philodromidae

Family of spiders

Running crab spiders

Temporal range: Cretaceous–present

PreꞒ

Philodromus sp.
Running crab spider
Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Arthropoda
Subphylum:  | Chelicerata
Class:  | Arachnida
Order:  | Araneae
Infraorder:  | Araneomorphae
Family:  | Philodromidae
Thorell, 1870
Diversity
30 genera, 648 species

Philodromidae, also known as philodromid crab spiders and running crab spiders, is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell in 1870 (then known as subfamily Philodrominae within Thomisidae).[1] It contains over 500 species in thirty genera.[2]

The most common genus is Philodromus which is widespread, similar to Ebo.[2] Other common genera include the elongate grass-dwelling Tibellus and the widespread Thanatus, which includes the house crab spider that commonly captures flies on and in buildings.[3]

## Description[edit]

Philodromids have a crab-like shape due to the first two pairs of legs being oriented sideways (laterigrade).[4] This is superficially similar to the "true" crab spiders (Thomisidae), such as Misumena vatia, but these families are not as closely related as previously thought.[5] Unlike crab spiders, the legs are generally similar in size, though the second leg pair may be significantly longer than the first pair.[4][5] This is most evident in Ebo, where the second pair of legs are twice as long as the first pair in some species.[5] Philodromids have scopula only at the tips of the tarsi (unlike sparassids) and the eyes are in two curved rows with the posterior row wider than the anterior row.[4] In terms of colouration, they are usually cream to light brown and have faint longitudinal stripes.[6]

## Ecology[edit]

Philodromidae are active predators and often occur on the stems and leaves of plants.[7] Some occur only on deciduous trees and others only on conifers.[7] A small number of species live in deserts.[7] Instead of building webs to catch prey, they hunt by ambush.[6]

## Genera[edit]

Main article: List of Philodromidae species

As of April 2019[update], the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera:[2]

* Apollophanes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 — North America, Asia, Trinidad, Panama, Ecuador
* Bacillocnemis Mello-Leitão, 1938 — Argentina
* Berlandiella Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil, Argentina
* Cleocnemis Simon, 1886 — South America
* Ebo Keyserling, 1884 — Asia, North America, Argentina
* Eminella Özdikmen, 2007 — Argentina
* Fageia Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil
* Gephyrellula Strand, 1932 — Brazil
* Gephyrina Simon, 1895 — South America, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Gephyrota Strand, 1932 — Asia, Africa, Australia
* Halodromus Muster, 2009 — Spain, Asia, Africa
* Hirriusa Strand, 1932 — Namibia, South Africa
* Metacleocnemis Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil
* Pagiopalus Simon, 1900 — Hawaii
* Paracleocnemis Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942 — Argentina
* Pedinopistha Karsch, 1880 — Hawaii
* Petrichus Simon, 1886 — South America
* Philodromops Mello-Leitão, 1943 — Brazil
* Philodromus Walckenaer, 1826 — North America, Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, Caribbean, Central America, Venezuela
* Procleocnemis Mello-Leitão, 1929 — Brazil
* Psellonus Simon, 1897 — India
* Pseudopsellonus Balogh, 1936 — Papua New Guinea
* Pulchellodromus Wunderlich, 2012 — Algeria, Europe, Asia
* Rhysodromus Schick, 1965 — Asia, North America
* Suemus Simon, 1895 — Sierra Leone, Vietnam, South Africa
* Thanatus C. L. Koch, 1837 — Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, South America
* Tibellus Simon, 1875 — North America, Asia, Africa, South America, Cuba, Italy, Australia
* Tibitanus Simon, 1907 — Namibia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea
* Titanebo Gertsch, 1933 — United States, Mexico
* Vacchellia Caporiacco, 1935 — Karakorum

### incertae sedis[edit]

* Euthanatus Petrunkevitch, 1950 † (fossil)
* Filiolella Petrunkevitch, 1955 † (fossil)
* Medela Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil)

## See also[edit]

* List of Philodromidae species

## References[edit]

1. ^ Thorell, T. (1870). "On European spiders". Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis. 3 (7): 109–242.
2. ^ a b c "Family: Philodromidae Thorell, 1870". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
3. ^ Kulczyński, W. (1903). "Aranearum et Opilionum species in insula Creta a comite Dre Carolo Attems collectae". Bulletin International de l'Académie des Sciences de Cracovie. 1903: 50.
4. ^ a b c "araneae - Key to families". araneae.nmbe.ch. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
5. ^ a b c Homann, H. (1975). "Die Stellung der Thomisidae und der Philodromidae im System der Araneae (Chelicerata, Arachnida)". Zeitschrift für Morphologie der Tiere. 80 (3): 181–202. doi:10.1007/BF00285652. S2CID 2027596.
6. ^ a b "PHILODROMIDAE Philodromids". www.arachne.org.au. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
7. ^ a b c "Philodromid Crab Spiders - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2022-07-12.

## External links[edit]

Wikispecies has information related to Philodromidae.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Philodromidae.

* Platnick, N.I. 2003. World Spider Catalog
* Picture of a philodromid
* Identification of European genera and species

* v
* t
* e

Extant Araneae families

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Arthropoda
* Subphylum: Chelicerata
* Class: Arachnida

Suborder Mesothelae

* Liphistiidae (segmented spiders)

Suborder Opisthothelae

| Mygalomorphae|

* Actinopodidae (mouse spiders and relatives)
* Antrodiaetidae (folding trapdoor spiders)
* Atracidae (Australian funnel-web spiders)
* Atypidae (atypical tarantulas or purseweb spiders)
* Barychelidae (brushed trapdoor spiders)
* Ctenizidae (cork-lid trapdoor spiders)
* Cyrtaucheniidae (wafer trapdoor spiders)
* Dipluridae (funnel-web tarantulas)
* Euctenizidae
* Halonoproctidae
* Hexathelidae (funnel-webs or venomous funnel-web tarantulas)
* Idiopidae
* Macrothelidae
* Mecicobothriidae (dwarf tarantulas)
* Microstigmatidae
* Migidae (tree trapdoor spiders)
* Nemesiidae (funnel-web tarantulas)
* Paratropididae (bald-legged spiders)
* Porrhothelidae
* Theraphosidae (true tarantulas)

Araneomorphae|

| Non-entelegynes|

* Archaeidae (pelican spiders)
* Austrochilidae
* Caponiidae
* Diguetidae (coneweb spiders)
* Drymusidae (false violin spiders)
* Dysderidae (woodlouse hunters)
* Filistatidae (crevice weaver spiders)
* Gradungulidae (large-clawed spiders)
* Huttoniidae
* Hypochilidae (lampshade spiders)
* Leptonetidae
* Mecysmaucheniidae
* Ochyroceratidae (midget ground weavers)
* Oonopidae (goblin spiders)
* Orsolobidae
* Pacullidae
* Palpimanidae (palp-footed spiders)
* Periegopidae
* Pholcidae (cellar spiders)
* Plectreuridae
* Scytodidae (spitting spiders)
* Segestriidae (tube-dwelling spiders)
* Sicariidae (violin spiders, assassin spiders)
* Stenochilidae
* Telemidae (long-legged cave spiders)
* Tetrablemmidae (armored spiders)
* Trogloraptoridae (Trogloraptor marchingtoni)

Entelegynae|

* Agelenidae (araneomorph funnel weavers)
* Amaurobiidae (tangled nest spiders)
* Ammoxenidae (termite hunters)
* Anapidae
* Anyphaenidae (anyphaenid sac spiders)
* Araneidae (orb-weaver spiders)
* Arkyidae
* Cheiracanthiidae
* Cithaeronidae
* Clubionidae (sac spiders)
* Corinnidae (dark sac spiders)
* Ctenidae (wandering spiders or tropical wolf spiders)
* Cyatholipidae
* Cybaeidae
* Cycloctenidae
* Deinopidae (net-casting spiders)
* Desidae (intertidal spiders)
* Dictynidae
* Eresidae (velvet spiders)
* Gallieniellidae
* Gnaphosidae (flat-bellied ground spiders)
* Hahniidae (dwarf sheet spiders)
* Hersiliidae (tree trunk spiders)
* Homalonychidae
* Lamponidae (white-tailed spiders)
* Linyphiidae (sheet weavers or money spiders)
* Liocranidae (liocranid sac spiders)
* Lycosidae (wolf spiders)
* Malkaridae (shield spiders)
* Megadictynidae
* Mimetidae (pirate spiders)
* Miturgidae
* Mysmenidae (spurred orb-weavers)
* Nesticidae (cave cobweb spiders)
* Nicodamidae (red and black spiders)
* Oecobiidae (disc web spiders)
* Oxyopidae (lynx spiders)
* Penestomidae
* Philodromidae (running crab spiders)
* Phrurolithidae
* Physoglenidae
* Phyxelididae
* Pimoidae
* Pisauridae (nursery web spiders) (including Halidae)
* Psechridae
* Salticidae (jumping spiders)
* Selenopidae
* Senoculidae (bark hunters)
* Sparassidae (huntsman spiders)
* Stiphidiidae
* Symphytognathidae (dwarf orb-weavers)
* Synaphridae
* Synotaxidae
* Tetragnathidae (long jawed orb-weavers)
* Theridiidae (tangle-web spiders)
* Theridiosomatidae (ray spiders)
* Thomisidae (crab spiders)
* Titanoecidae
* Toxopidae
* Trachelidae
* Trechaleidae
* Trochanteriidae
* Udubidae
* Uloboridae (cribellate orb weavers)
* Viridasiidae
* Xenoctenidae
* Zodariidae (ant spiders)
* Zoropsidae

* Spider taxonomy
* Bold are families with more than 1000 species

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q10992
* Wikispecies: Philodromidae
* ADW: Philodromidae
* AFD: Philodromidae
* BioLib: 851
* BOLD: 1406
* BugGuide: 1964
* CoL: 6269Y
* EoL: 193
* Fauna Europaea: 10694
* Fauna Europaea (new): da778785-e225-4c41-8b97-0486c850b440
* Fossilworks: 268900
* GBIF: 5639
* iNaturalist: 47868
* IRMNG: 100328
* ITIS: 871533
* NBN: NBNSYS0000160679
* NCBI: 243501
* Plazi: 48F24F25-1476-6FF3-670A-FAA4E8EB6A63
* uBio: 4933994
* WoRMS: 231967
* WSC: urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spiderfam:0057

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