Scotophaeus blackwalli
Scotophaeus blackwalli | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Gnaphosidae |
Genus: | Scotophaeus |
Species: | S. blackwalli |
Binomial name | |
Scotophaeus blackwalli (Thorell, 1871)[1] |
Scotophaeus blackwalli, also known as the mouse spider, is a species of spider belonging to the family Gnaphosidae.
It is a ground spider and does not create webs. Instead it hunts for insects and other spiders at night and uses its enlarged spinnerets to produce a sticky silk to subdue its prey. It is also an opportunistic scavenger.
Females also use their silk to build protective nests for their eggs.[2]
Description
The adult males of these spiders reach 9mm in length, maturing in the early summer, while females reach 12mm, and can be found until autumn.[3][4][5]
The carapace is dark brown while the abdomen is brown/grey with hairs resembling the body of a mouse, hence the common name of 'mouse spider'.[4] The legs are brown with thick pubescence.[4] The male has a small scutum on the dorsum of the abdomen.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Scotophaeus blackwalli is native to Europe, the Caucasus, Turkey and Iran. It has been introduced to North America, Peru, and Hawaii.[1] It is commonly found around and inside houses in Britain, usually in the Autumn, and also under bark and in holes in walls in warmer parts of Europe.[4] It hunts nocturnally.[5]
Subspecies
- Scotophaeus blackwalli isabellinus (Simon, 1873) — Corsica, Italy, Croatia
- Scotophaeus blackwalli politus (Simon, 1878) — France
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ a b "Taxon details Scotophaeus blackwalli (Thorell, 1871)", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2016-04-15
- ^ https://usaspiders.com/scotophaeus-blackwalli-mouse-spider/
- ^ a b Roberts, Michael J. (1996) Collins Field Guide - Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe, Collins, ISBN 978-0-00-219981-0, pp. 108-9
- ^ a b c d Jones, Dick (1989) A Guide to Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe (revised edition), Hamlyn, ISBN 0-600-56710-9, p. 74
- ^ a b Savory, Theodore (1945) The Spiders & Allied Orders of the British Isles, Warne, p. 64
External links
- Scotophaeus blackwalli, Spider and Harvestman Recording Scheme
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