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Xysticus (ground crab spiders)
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> Arachnida > Araneae
> Araneomorpha > Family: Thomisidae (crab spiders)
Looks very much like Thomisus but with a round
abdomen and no lateral eye projections. The dull brown colouration affords good
camouflage for its more earthy lifestyle on the ground and under stones. Unlike
Thomisus the male uses silk to secure the female to the substrate before
mating. Ozyptila, Stiphropella, Stiphropus are other terrestrial genera.
Xysticus is derived from the Greek "Xysticus" means
"scraping together" referring to its method of prey capture
Text by Norman Larsen © |
