Segestria bavarica

Segestria bavarica is a species of spider in the family Segestriidae. It is found across Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus region.^[1]

The species name bavarica refers to Bavaria, the German region where the species was first described by C. L. Koch in 1843.^[2]

S. bavarica has been recorded from throughout Europe, extending into Turkey and the Caucasus region.^[1] The species appears to be relatively uncommon in some areas, with Koch noting it was quite rare in Bavaria in his original description.^[2]

The female of S. bavarica has a body length of 6 mm. The cephalothorax is dark brown with black chelicerae. The abdomen is yellowish-grey with black spotting, featuring a relatively broad band of spots along the back that are crossed by yellowish stripes lengthwise. The legs are yellowish with black spots and rings.^[2]

The abdomen shows a distinctive pattern with a broad, dark brown longitudinal band running across the back, bordered by fine longitudinal lines. This band contains wave-like black spots, some of which may merge. The sides of the abdomen have a wine-red tinge, and the spinnerets are light ochre-yellow.^[2]

The male was described by Westring in 1861. The male has a thorax length of 4.5 mm and dark brown to blackish mandibles. The pubescence is greyish-white and dense. The abdomen is dark brown with dorsal spots, and features 4-5 oval or round, blackish spots on each side that are bordered by greyish-white and crossed by longitudinal lines. The legs are reddish-brown with evident dark brown spotting. The front legs have darkly saturated brown patellae and tibiae, while the metatarsi are less dense in males compared to females.^[3]

Koch reported finding both adults and juveniles under loose stones in rock crevices near limestone formations, though he was unable to locate the male's web structure in his original observations.^[2]

The species was first described by C. L. Koch in 1843, with the male subsequently described by Niklas Westring in 1861.