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Xysticus ellipticus Turnbull, Dondale & Redner, 1965

	FAMILY: THOMISIDAE Sundevall, 1833     Genus: Xysticus C. L. Koch, 1835         Species: Xysticus ellipticus Turnbull, Dondale & Redner, 1965
	Author: Hancock, John Page views: 630 Write a Review: Visitor Comments: (0)

General Comments: Known to lay-in-wait concealed in crevices with just the first pair of legs protruding.

Family Common Name:  crab spiders
Genus Common Name:  ground crab spiders
Species Common Name:  none

Global Distribution: USA, Canada
Nearctic States & Provinces: (from the Nearctic Spider Database)   AB ON CO MT
Collection Locales Mapped by Year Collected: (from the Nearctic Spider Database)

Specimen Search Specimen list 14, 4

Feeding Guild:^† ambushers
^†Feeding guild when noted defined by Uetz, G. W., J. Halaj, and A. B. Cady. 1999. Guild structure of spiders in major crops. Journal of Arachnology 27:270-280. PDF
Recorded Habitats: Litter in wooded areas (Dondale & Redner, 1978). Both the ground and field layers particularly conifer low canopy that sweeps the ground (Hancock, pers. obs. ).
Life & Natural History: (not yet recorded or unknown)

Seasonality of Specimen Records: (from the Nearctic Spider Database - Requires Flash plug-in - refresh this page if not visible)

Image(s) of Habitus:

Description: Carapace red-brown, with off-white V and mottled pigment anterior to dorsal groove. First two pairs of legs, dark-red brown, with yellow metatarsus & tarsus. Legs III & IV are a light orange in colour, all with a few white spots and streaks. Dorsum of abdomen red-brown with off-white transverse band at anterior end. Low tegular ridge, which is located near the distal extremity of the tegulum (Dondale & Redner, 1978).

Male Dimensions: A = 3.2 mm  A+B = 3.5 mm  C = 2.91 mm

Image of External Male Genitalia: Credit: Hancock, John

Description: Carapace red-brown, with off-white V and mottled pigment anterior to dorsal groove. First two pairs of legs, dark-red brown, III & IV lighter in colour, all with a few white spots and streaks. Dorsum of abdomen yellow-brown with off-white transverse band at anterior end. Rectangular atrium to the epigynum (Dondale & Redner, 1978).

Female Dimensions: A = 3.66 mm  A+B = 4.5 mm  C = 3.46 mm

Image of Epigynum: Credit: Hancock, John

Descriptions Source:
Dondale, C. D. & J. H. Redner. 1978. The insects and arachnids of Canada, Part 5. The crab spiders of Canada and Alaska, Araneae: Philodromidae and Thomisidae. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Publ. 1663: 1-255.

Synema obscura Keyserling 1880 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:1990158

Synema obscurum Gertsch 1939 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:1990159

Xysticus ellipticus Turnbull, Dondale & Redner 1965 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:1990160

Xysticus ellipticus Dondale & Redner 1978 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:1990161

Xysticus ellipticus Paquin & Dupérré 2003 urn:lsid:ubio.org:namebank:9736757

Dondale, C. D. & J. H. Redner. 1978. The insects and arachnids of Canada, Part 5. The crab spiders of Canada and Alaska, Araneae: Philodromidae and Thomisidae. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Publ. 1663: 1-255.

Gertsch, W. J. 1939. A revision of the typical crab spiders (Misumeninae) of America north of Mexico. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 76: 277-442.

Keyserling, E. 1880. Die Spinnen Amerikas, I. Laterigradae. Nürnberg, 1: 1-283.

Paquin, P. & N. Dupérré. 2003. Guide d'identification des araignées de Québec. Fabreries, Suppl. 11 1-251.

Turnbull, A. L., C. D. Dondale & J. H. Redner. 1965. The spider genus Xysticus C. L. Koch (Araneae: Thomisidae) in Canada. Can. Ent. 97: 1233-1280.

^‡Nomenclature and taxonomic references from the World Spider Catalog

Dondale, C. D. & J. H. Redner. 1978. The insects and arachnids of Canada, Part 5. The crab spiders of Canada and Alaska, Araneae: Philodromidae and Thomisidae. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Publ. 1663: 1-255.

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