Thomisidae (Family)

Overview

Crab spiders make up the Thomisidae family of the order. They are called crab spiders because they resemble crabs, with two front pairs of legs angled outward and bodies that are flattened and often angular. Also, like crabs, Thomisidae can move sideways or backward.

Crab spiders do not build webs to trap prey, but are hunters and ambushers. Some species sit on or among flowers, bark, fruit or leaves where they grab visiting insects. Individuals of some species, such as Misumena vatia, are able to change color between white and yellow to match the flower on which they're sitting. Other species, with their flattened bodies, hunt in the crevices of tree trunks or under loose bark. Members of the genus Xysticus hunt in the leaf litter on the ground. In each case, crab spiders use their powerful front legs to grab and hold onto prey while paralyzing it with a venomous bite.

The spider family Aphantochilidae was incorporated into the Thomisidae in the late 1980s. Aphantochilus species mimic Cephalotes ants, on which they prey.

The spiders of Thomisidae are not known to be harmful to humans. However, spiders of an unrelated genus, Sicarius, which are sometimes referred to as "crab spiders", are close cousins to the recluse spiders, and are highly venomous.

The unrelated species Gasteracantha cancriformis is commonly called the "crab spider."

Systematics

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Main article: List of Thomisidae genera

The following subfamilies are recognized:

Aphantochilinae (3 genera)
Bominae Ono, 1984 (9 genera)
Dietinae (32 genera)
Stephanopinae (35 genera)
Stiphropodinae (3 genera)
Strophiinae (8 genera)
Thomisinae (67 genera)
incertae sedis

There are 9 ge nera, containing 130 species of crab spiders in North America.

Gallery

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Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Family Thomisidae is a member of the Superfamily Thomisoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Thomisidae:

Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
  - Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
    - Branch: Protostomia Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
      - Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa Aguinaldo Et Al., 1997 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
        Superphylum: Panarthropoda Cuvier
        Phylum: Arthropoda Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
        Subphylum: Arachnomorpha Heider, 1913
        Infraphylum: Cheliceriformes
        Superclass: Chelicerata
        Class: Arachnida Cuvier, 1812 - Arachnids
        Subclass: Micrura
        Order: Araneae Clerck, 1757 - Spiders
        Suborder: Opisthothelae - Modern Spiders
        Infraorder: Araneomorphae
        Superfamily: Thomisoidea
        Family: Thomisidae - Crab Spiders

The Family Thomisidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Subfamily (1): Nepetoideae
Tribe (1): Mentheae
Genus (168): Acentroscelus · Acracanthostoma · Alcimochthes · Amyciaea · Angaeus · Aphantochilus · Apyretina · Ascurisoma · Avelis · Bassaniana · Bassaniodes · Boliscodes · Boliscus · Bomis · Bonapruncinia · Borboropactus · Bucranium · Camaricus · Carcinarachne · Cebrenninus · Ceraarachne · Cetratus · Coenypha · Coriarachne · Corynethrix · Cupa · Cymbacha · Cymbachina · Cynathea · Cyriogonus · Deltoclita · Demogenes · Diaea · Diasterea · Dieta · Dietopsa · Dimizonops · Diplotychus · Domatha · Ebrechtella · Emplesiogonus · Epicadinus · Epicadus · Epidius · Erissoides · Erissus · Felsina · Firmicus · Geraesta · Gnoerichia · Haedanula · Haplotmarus · Hedana · Herbessus · Heriaesynaema · Heriaeus · Heterogriffus · Hewittia · Hexommulocymus · Holopelus · Iphoctesis · Isala · Isaloides · Lampertia · Loxobates · Loxoporetes · Lycopus · Lysiteles · Majellula · Martus · Massuria · Mecaphesa · Megapyge · Metadiaea · Misumena · Misumenoides · Misumenops · Modysticus · Monaeses · Musaeus · Mystaria · Narcaeus · Nyctimus · Ocyllus · Onocolus · Ostanes · Oxyptila · Oxytate · Ozyptila · Pactactes · Pagida · Parabomis · Paramystaria · Parasmodix · Parastephanops · Parastrophius · Parasynema · Pasias · Pasiasula · Peritraeus · Phaenopoma · Pharta · Pherecydes · Philodamia · Philogaeus · Phireza · Phrynarachne · Physoplatys · Pistius · Plancinus · Plastonomus · Platyarachne · Platypyresthesis · Platythomisus · Poecilothomisus · Porropis · Pothaeus · Prepotelus · Proxysticus · Pseudamyciaea · Pseudoporrhopis · Pycnaxis · Pyresthesis · Reinickella · Rhaebobates · Runcinia · Saccodomus · Sanmenia · Scopticus · Sidyma · Sidymella · Simorcus · Smodicinodes · Smodicinus · Soelteria · Stephanopis · Stephanopoides · Stiphropella · Stiphropus · Strigoplus · Strophius · Sylligma · Synaema · Synaemops · Synalus · Synema · Synstrophius · Tagulinus · Tagulis · Takachihoa · Talaus · Tarrocanus · Taypaliito · Tharpyna · Tharrhalea · Thomisops · Titidiops · Titidius · Tmarus · Trichopagis · Ulocymus · Uraarachne · Urarachne · Wechselia · Xysticus · Zametopias · Zametopina · Zygometis
Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2,327 species and subspecies in the Family Thomisidae.

Thomisidae

Overview

Systematics

Gallery

Photos

Taxonomy

Genera

Acentroscelus

Acracanthostoma

Alcimochthes

Amyciaea

Angaeus

Aphantochilus

Apyretina

Ascurisoma

Avelis

Bassaniana

Bassaniodes

Boliscodes

Boliscus

Bomis

Bonapruncinia

Borboropactus

Bucranium

Camaricus

Carcinarachne

Cebrenninus

Ceraarachne

Cetratus

Coenypha

Coriarachne

Corynethrix

Cupa

Cymbacha

Cymbachina

Cynathea

Cyriogonus

Deltoclita

Demogenes

Diaea

Diasterea

Dieta

Dietopsa

Dimizonops

Diplotychus

Domatha

Ebrechtella

Emplesiogonus

Epicadinus

Epicadus

Epidius

Erissoides

Erissus

Felsina

Firmicus

Geraesta

Gnoerichia

Haedanula

Haplotmarus

Hedana

Herbessus

Heriaesynaema

Heriaeus

Heterogriffus

Hewittia

Hexommulocymus

Holopelus

Iphoctesis

Isala

Isaloides

Lampertia

Loxobates

Loxoporetes

Lycopus

Lysiteles

Majellula

Martus

Massuria

Mecaphesa

Megapyge