Stegodyphus lineatus
| Stegodyphus lineatus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Eresidae |
| Genus: | Stegodyphus |
| Species: | S. lineatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stegodyphus lineatus (Latreille, 1817)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Stegodyphus lineatus is the only European species of the spider genus Stegodyphus. In the pet trade it has been called the desert velvet spider. Male S. lineatus can grow up to 12 mm long while females can grow up to 15 mm. The colour can range from whitish to almost black. In most individuals the opisthosoma is whitish with two broad black longitudinal stripes. Males and females look similar, but the male is generally richer in contrast and has a bulbous forehead. The species name refers to the black lines on the back of these spiders (not present in all individuals). S. lineatus is found in the southern Mediterranean region of Europe (south of Barcelona, in Sicily, southern Greece including Crete) and as far east as Tajikistan.
- Drawings from CL Koch (1846) (now all S. lineatus)
-
Female from France
-
Female from Southern Europe
-
Female from Egypt
-
Female from Egypt