| Pherecydes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| female Pherecydes tuberculatus | |
 | |
| male P. nicolaasi | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Thomisidae |
| Genus: | Pherecydes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1883 [1] |
| Type species | |
| P. tuberculatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1883 | |
| Species | |
7, see text | |
Pherecydes is a genus of African crab spiders first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1883. [2]
Members of Pherecydes are small spiders measuring 3 to 5 mm. [3]
Colour varies between species with the carapace ranging from yellowish-brown mottled with dark brown to whitish-grey mottled with black, the abdomen from cream faintly mottled with brown to grey faintly mottled with black, and the legs from cream to fawn mottled with black and brown. [3]
Legs I and II have numerous dark brown and yellow patches on the femora and patellae dorsally, while the tibiae and metatarsi are lightly banded. [3]
The genus is recognised by the two lateral eyes situated on a common elevated area that is widely truncated on top, though this varies between species. [3]
These spiders have been sampled from trees and shrubs. [3]
As of October 2025 [update] , this genus includes seven species and one subspecies: [1]
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