Philodromidae
| Running crab spiders Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| Philodromus sp. | |
| Running crab spider | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Philodromidae Thorell, 1870 |
| Diversity | |
| 31 genera, 531 species | |
| blue: reported countries (WSC) green: observation hotspots (iNaturalist) | |
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 about 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
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P. aureus
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Philodromid in Washington, USA
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Philodromus sp. from Maryland, USA
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
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
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Thanatus atratus
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As of January 2026, this family includes 31 genera and 531 species:[2]
- Apollophanes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – China, Korea, Russia, North to South America
- Celerrimus Lecigne, Cornic, Oger & Van Keer, 2019 – Spain, France
- Cleocnemis Simon, 1886 – Argentina, Brazil
- Ebo Keyserling, 1884 – India, Kazakhstan, Russia, North America, Argentina
- Emargidromus Wunderlich, 2012 – Asia, Russia, Portugal
- Eminella Özdikmen, 2007 – Argentina
- Fageia Mello-Leitão, 1929 – Panama, South America
- Gephyrellula Strand, 1932 – South America
- Gephyrina Simon, 1895 – St. Vincent, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela
- Gephyrota Strand, 1932 – Africa, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Australia
- Halodromus Muster, 2009 – North Africa to Middle East, Western Asia, Canary Islands, Spain
- Hirriusa Strand, 1932 – Botswana, Namibia, South Africa
- 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 – Worldwide
- Procleocnemis Mello-Leitão, 1929 – Brazil
- Psellonus Simon, 1897 – China, Philippines, India
- Pseudopsellonus Balogh, 1936 – New Guinea
- Pulchellodromus Wunderlich, 2012 – Mediterranean to Kazakhstan, Iran, Tibet
- Rhysodromus Schick, 1965 – Egypt, Cape Verde, St. Helena, Asia, Canary Islands, Russia, Greece, North America, Central Asia to China, Mediterranean to India, North Africa
- Sinodromus Yao & Liu, 2024 – China
- Suemus Simon, 1895 – Mozambique, Eswatini, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, East Africa
- Thanatus C. L. Koch, 1837 – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Peru, East Africa, Europe to Kazakhstan, North Africa. Introduced to South Africa, Australia
- Tibelloides Mello-Leitão, 1939 – South America
- Tibellus Simon, 1875 – Africa, Asia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Italy, France, Cuba, North America, Australia, Argentina, Chile, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tibitanus Simon, 1907 – Namibia, South Africa, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
- Titanebo Gertsch, 1933 – North America
- Vacchellia Caporiacco, 1935 – Pakistan
- Euthanatus Petrunkevitch, 1950 † (fossil)
- Filiolella Petrunkevitch, 1955 † (fossil)
- Medela Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil)
References
- ^ Thorell, T. (1870). "On European spiders". Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis. 3 (7): 109–242.
- ^ a b c "Family: Philodromidae Thorell, 1869". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "araneae - Key to families". araneae.nmbe.ch. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "PHILODROMIDAE Philodromids". www.arachne.org.au. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ a b c "Philodromid Crab Spiders - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2022-07-12.