Philodromidae, also known as philodromid crab spiders and running crab spiders, is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell in 1870. It contains over 600 species in thirty genera. Most are dull colored- brown, gray, yellowish or mottled with a leaf-like cardiac mark on the anterior dorsal abdomen, and seldom reach above 10 millimetres (0.39 in) long. None of the species build webs, but they do use silk for draglines and egg sacs.
Philodromus is a genus of philodromid crab spiders. Spiders in this genus are distinctively flattened.
Philodromus vulgaris is a species of spider, commonly called the longlegged crab spider, in the genus Philodromus found in the USA and Canada.
The book Svenska Spindlar or Aranei Svecici was one of the major works of the Swedish arachnologist and entomologist Carl Alexander Clerck and appeared in Stockholm in the year 1757. It was the first comprehensive book on the spiders of Sweden and one of the first regional monographs of a group of animals worldwide. The full title of the work was Svenska Spindlar uti sina hufvud-slägter indelte samt under några och sextio särskildte arter beskrefne och med illuminerade figurer uplyste – Aranei Svecici, descriptionibus et figuris æneis illustrati, ad genera subalterna redacti, speciebus ultra LX determinati, and included 162 pages of text and 6 colour plates. It was published in Swedish, with a Latin translation printed in a slightly smaller font below the Swedish text.
Pulchellodromus simoni is a spider species found in Portugal, Spain and Algeria.
Philodromus aureolus, the wandering crab spider, is a mainly European running crab spider of the family Philodromidae. The taxonomy of the species group named after Philodromus aureolus is in a state of flux and a number of new species have recently been recognised.
Philodromus anomalus is a spider in the family Philodromidae, in the infraorder Araneomorphae . It is found in the USA.
Philodromus spectabilis is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in the USA and Canada.
Philodromus cespitum is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in North America, Europe, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East and Asia. P. cespitum is a foliage-dweller, and is the most abundant species found in European fruit orchards. It acts as a biological control by preying on orchard pests. P. cespitum is a diurnal ambush hunter and preys on aphids, insects, and occasionally competitor spider species. Males court females by tapping on the females’ bodies with their forelegs. They then insert a genital plug into the female during copulation. Unlike in many other spider species, subsequent males can mate with plugged females by removing part of the plug prior to copulation. Males discriminate among females based on virginity and plug size, and can determine these factors using the females’ draglines and plug samples.
Philodromus insperatus is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in the United States and Canada.
Philodromus laticeps is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in the United States.
Philodromus californicus is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in North America.
Philodromus minutus is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in the United States and Canada.
Philodromus peninsulanus is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in the United States and Canada.
Philodromus praelustris is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in the United States and Canada.
Philodromus floridensis is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in the United States.
Philodromus mineri is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in the United States.
Philodromus rufus is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is found in North America, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Sibiria), Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan.
