Dipoena melanogaster

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Dipoena melanogaster
Dipoena melanogaster (Theridiidae) - (female imago), Molenhoek, the Netherlands - 2.jpg
female from the Netherlands
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Dipoena
Species:
D. melanogaster
Binomial name
Dipoena melanogaster
(C. L. Koch, 1837)
Synonyms
  • Atea melanogasterC. L. Koch, 1837
  • Theridion congenerO. Pickard-Cambridge, 1863
  • Theridion melanogaster(C. L. Koch, 1837)

Dipoena melanogaster is a species of cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae. It has a wide distribution across Europe, North Africa, and extends eastward to Azerbaijan and Iran. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837 as Atea melanogaster. [2] It was later transferred to the genus Dipoena by Tamerlan Thorell in 1869. [3] The species Theridion congener, described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1863, was later synonymized with D. melanogaster by the same author in 1871. [4]

Distribution

D. melanogaster has been recorded from across Europe, including the British Isles, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Poland, and Sweden. [1] Its range extends into North Africa and eastward through the Caucasus to Azerbaijan and Iran. [1] [5]

Habitat

This species is commonly found in woodland environments, particularly in coniferous forests where it builds its webs on shrubs and low trees. It is most active during the summer months of June and July when mature males with fully developed reproductive organs can be observed. [6]

Description

male and female from original description Dipoena melanogaster mf koch.jpg
male and female from original description

Dipoena melanogaster is a small spider with a body length of approximately 1.5 mm. The front part of the body is brownish-black, while the rear part displays a distinctive coloration pattern. The front and sides of the abdomen are black, while the back is whitish with brown and black speckled markings arranged in curved crosswise stripes. The legs are whitish with black rings at the tips of the segments and at the joints. [6]

Males are more slender than females, with a thinner abdomen and proportionally longer legs. The male's front body and mouthparts are black like the female, but the back of the abdomen is darker, appearing almost olive-brown, with visible black crosswise markings formed by clusters of spots. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dipoena melanogaster (C. L. Koch, 1837)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  2. ↑ Koch, C. L. (1837). Übersicht des Arachnidensystems. Vol. Heft 1. Nürnberg: C. H. Zeh'sche Buchhandlung. p. 39.
  3. ↑ Thorell, T. (1869). "On European spiders". Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis. 7 (1): 91.
  4. ↑ Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1871). "Descriptions of some British spiders new to science". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 27 (3): 422.
  5. ↑ Kovblyuk, M. M.; Marusik, Y. M.; Omelko, M. M. (2012). "A survey of Transcaucasian Dipoena sensu lato (Aranei: Theridiidae) with a description of new species". Arthropoda Selecta. 21 (3): 247–254.
  6. 1 2 3 Koch, C. L. (1844). Die Arachniden. Vol. 11. Nürnberg: C. H. Zeh'sche Buchhandlung. p. 143.
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