Philodromidae

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title: "Philodromidae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["philodromidae", "araneomorphae-families", "taxa-named-by-tamerlan-thorell"] description: "Family of spiders" topic_path: "general/philodromidae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philodromidae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Family of spiders ::

| fossil_range = | name = Running crab spiders | image = Philodromus praelustris.jpg | image_caption = Philodromus sp. | image2 = Philodromid-crab-spider-frontal-mze.jpg | image2_caption = Running crab spider | taxon = Philodromidae | authority = Thorell, 1870 | diversity = 31 genera, 531 species | range_map = Philodromidae range map.svg | range_map_caption = 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). It contains over 500 species in about thirty genera.

The most common genus is Philodromus which is widespread, similar to Ebo. 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.

Description

Philodromus aureolus, Hartelholz, Múnich, Alemania, 2020-06-27, DD 215-226 FS.jpg|P. aureus Running Crab Spider (30559741563).jpg|Philodromid in Washington, USA Running Crab Spider - Philodromus species, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland.jpg|Philodromus sp. from Maryland, USA

Philodromids have a crab-like shape due to the first two pairs of legs being oriented sideways (laterigrade). 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.

Unlike crab spiders, the legs are generally similar in size, though the second leg pair may be significantly longer than the first pair. This is most evident in Ebo, where the second pair of legs are twice as long as the first pair in some species.

Dorsal View of Thanatus vulgaris (22830332506).jpg|Thanatus vulgaris Anterior View of Thanatus vulgaris (22867493191).jpg

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. In terms of colouration, they are usually cream to light brown and have faint longitudinal stripes.

Ecology

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

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Tibellus_oblongus_qtl1.jpg" caption="''[[Tibellus oblongus]]'' with [[damselfly]] prey"] ::

Genera

Philodromus cespitum2.jpg|Philodromus cespitum Thanatus atratus.jpg|Thanatus atratus Thanatus formicinus 01.JPG|Thanatus formicinus Tibellus hollidayi 300389851 541239767.jpg|Tibellus hollidayi

, this family includes 31 genera and 531 species:

• 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

''[[incertae sedis]]''

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

References

References

1. "Family: Philodromidae Thorell, 1869". World Spider Catalog.
2. "PHILODROMIDAE Philodromids".
3. "araneae - Key to families".
4. "Philodromid Crab Spiders - Encyclopedia of Life".
5. Homann, H.. (1975). "Die Stellung der Thomisidae und der Philodromidae im System der Araneae (Chelicerata, Arachnida)". Zeitschrift für Morphologie der Tiere.
6. 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.
7. Thorell, T.. (1870). "On European spiders". Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis.

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