The Nearctic Spider Database, http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/31814

Xysticus benefactor Keyserling, 1880

FAMILY: THOMISIDAE Sundevall, 1833
    Genus: Xysticus C. L. Koch, 1835
        Species: Xysticus benefactor Keyserling, 1880

Author of this page: Hancock, John (Page complete and awaiting review)

Common Names

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

Distribution

Global Distribution: USA, Canada
Nearctic States & Provinces:   AB CO MT SD WY
Collection Locales Mapped by Year Collected: 

Natural History, Phenology & Image(s)

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.
Recorded Habitats:  Field and shrub layers particularly in old forest stands. Most often in humid habitats close to water (Hancock, pers. obs.).
Life & Natural History:  (not yet recorded or unknown)

Seasonality of Specimen Records:


Image(s) of Habitus:


Credit: Hancock, John

Details About Males

Description:  Carapace a dark mottled red-brown with yellow and white, white V and mottled pigment anterior to dorsal groove. Legs mottled dark red-brown and yellow. Dorsun of abdomen with paired dark areas separated by off-white transverse lines. Spurlike tegular ridge and short embolus (Dondale & Redner, 1978).

Male Dimensions:

A+B = 3.75 mm  A = 2.11 mm  C = 2.11 mm 

Image of External Male Genitalia:


Credit: Hancock, John

Details About Females

Description:  Carapace a light mottled red-brown with yellow and white, white V and mottled pigment anterior to dorsal groove. Legs mottled light red-brown and yellow. Dorsun of abdomen with paired dark areas separated by off-white transverse lines. Rimless epigynal atrium (Dondale & Redner, 1978).

Female Dimensions:

A+B = 5.25 mm  A = 2.25 mm  C = 2.24 mm 

Image of Epigynum:  (image not yet available)

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.

Synonyms and Chresonyms†

Xysticus benefactor Keyserling 1880
Xysticus vernilis Keyserling 1881
Xysticus benefactor Banks 1913
Xysticus benefactor Schick 1965
Xysticus benefactor Turnbull, Dondale & Redner 1965
Xysticus benefactor Dondale & Redner 1978
Xysticus benefactor Redner & Dondale 1980

Taxonomic References†

Banks, N. 1913. Notes on the types of some American spiders in European collections. Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad. 65: 177-188.

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.

Keyserling, E. 1881. Neue Spinnen aus Amerika. III. Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien 31: 269-314.

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

Redner, J. H. & C. D. Dondale. 1980. Description of the female of Xysticus winnipegensis (Araneae: Thomisidae). Can. Ent. 112: 933-934.

Schick, R. X. 1965. The crab spiders of California (Araneae, Thomisidae). Bull. Am. Mus. nat. Hist. 129: 1-180.

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 accessible at http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/THOMISIDAE.html

Other Nearctic Members of Genus Xysticus C. L. Koch, 1835‡‡

X. acquiescens Emerton, 1919 ...............Holarctic
X. alboniger Turnbull, Dondale & Redner, 1965 ...............USA, Canada
X. ampullatus Turnbull, Dondale & Redner, 1965 ...............USA, Canada
X. apachecus Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA
X. apalacheus Gertsch, 1953 ...............USA
X. aprilinus Bryant, 1930 ...............USA
X. auctificus Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA, Canada
X. audax (Schrank, 1803) ...............Palearctic
X. banksi Bryant, 1933 ...............USA
X. bicuspis Keyserling, 1887 ...............USA
X. bifasciatus C. L. Koch, 1837 ...............Palearctic
X. bonneti Denis, 1938 ...............Palearctic
X. britcheri Gertsch, 1934 ...............Russia, Alaska, Canada, USA
X. californicus Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA
X. canadensis Gertsch, 1934 ...............Russia, USA, Canada
X. chaparralis Schick, 1965 ...............USA
X. chippewa Gertsch, 1953 ...............Holarctic
X. cochise Gertsch, 1953 ...............USA
X. coloradensis Bryant, 1930 ...............USA
X. concursus Gertsch, 1934 ...............USA
X. cristatus (Clerck, 1757) ...............Palearctic
X. cunctator Thorell, 1877 ...............USA, Canada
X. deichmanni Sorensen, 1898 ...............Canada, Alaska, Greenland
X. discursans Keyserling, 1880 ...............North America
X. durus (Sorensen, 1898) ...............USA, Canada, Greenland
X. elegans Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
X. ellipticus Turnbull, Dondale & Redner, 1965 ...............USA, Canada
X. emertoni Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska, Slovakia to China
X. facetus O. P.-Cambridge, 1896 ...............Mexico to El Salvador
X. ferox (Hentz, 1847) ...............USA, Canada
X. ferrugineus Menge, 1876 ...............Palearctic
X. fervidus Gerstch, 1953 ...............USA, Canada
X. flavovittatus Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA
X. floridanus Banks, 1896 ...............USA
X. fraternus Banks, 1895 ...............USA, Canada
X. funestus Keyserling, 1880 ...............North America
X. furtivus Gertsch, 1936 ...............USA
X. gallicus Simon, 1875 ...............Palearctic
X. gertschi Schick, 1965 ...............North America
X. gosiutus Gertsch, 1932 ...............USA, Canada
X. gulosus Keyserling, 1880 ...............North America
X. humilis Redner & Dondale, 1965 ...............USA
X. imitarius Gertsch, 1953 ...............USA
X. indiligens (Walckenaer, 1837) ...............USA
X. iviei Schick, 1965 ...............USA
X. iviei sierrensis Schick, 1965 ...............USA
X. keyserlingi Bryant, 1930 ...............USA, Canada
X. labradorensis Keyserling, 1887 ...............Holarctic
X. lanio C. L. Koch, 1835 ...............Palearctic
X. lassanus Chamberlin, 1925 ...............USA, Mexico
X. laticeps Bryant, 1933 ...............USA, Cuba
X. lineatus (Westring, 1851) ...............Palearctic
X. locuples Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA, Canada
X. luctans (C. L. Koch, 1845) ...............USA, Canada
X. luctator L. Koch, 1870 ...............Palearctic
X. luctuosus (Blackwall, 1836) ...............Holarctic
X. lutzi Gertsch, 1935 ...............USA, Mexico
X. montanensis Keyserling, 1887 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
X. nevadensis (Keyserling, 1880) ...............USA
X. nigromaculatus Keyserling, 1884 ...............USA, Canada
X. ninnii Thorell, 1872 ...............Palearctic
X. obscurus Collett, 1877 ...............Holarctic
X. ocala Gertsch, 1953 ...............USA
X. ontariensis Emerton, 1919 ...............Canada
X. orizaba Banks, 1898 ...............Mexico
X. paiutus Gertsch, 1933 ...............USA, Mexico
X. pearcei Schick, 1965 ...............USA
X. pellax O. P.-Cambridge, 1894 ...............North America
X. peninsulanus Gertsch, 1934 ...............USA
X. posti Sauer, 1968 ...............USA
X. pretiosus Gertsch, 1934 ...............USA, Canada
X. punctatus Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA, Canada
X. robinsoni Gertsch, 1953 ...............USA, Mexico
X. rockefelleri Gertsch, 1953 ...............Mexico
X. rugosus Buckle & Redner, 1964 ...............Russia, Canada, USA
X. sabulosus (Hahn, 1832) ...............Palearctic
X. sphericus (Walckenaer, 1837) ...............USA
X. striatipes L. Koch, 1870 ...............Palearctic
X. tampa Gertsch, 1953 ...............USA
X. texanus Banks, 1904 ...............USA, Mexico
X. triangulosus Emerton, 1894 ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
X. triguttatus Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA, Canada
X. ulmi (Hahn, 1831) ...............Palearctic
X. variabilis Keyserling, 1880 ...............USA
X. viduus Kulczynski, 1898 ...............Palearctic
X. winnipegensis Turnbull, Dondale & Redner, 1965 ...............Canada

‡‡May also include species with Palearctic distribution

Page Reference:

Hancock, John. submitted. Taxonomic and natural history description of FAM: THOMISIDAE, Xysticus benefactor Keyserling, 1880. In: The Nearctic Spider Database. David P. Shorthouse (editor). World Wide Web electronic publication. Direct link: http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/31814 (Accessed: 10/13/2008 12:52:14 AM).

Author Email Address: spidermanjohn@shaw.ca
Text Last Modified: 2006-02-25T06:28:18Z