| Stretched Philodromid | |
|---|---|
|   | |
| specimen from Queensland | |
| Scientific classification   | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Arthropoda | 
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata | 
| Class: | Arachnida | 
| Order: | Araneae | 
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae | 
| Family: | Philodromidae | 
| Genus: | Tibellus | 
| Species: | T. tenellus | 
| Binomial name | |
| Tibellus tenellus (L. Koch, 1876) | |
| Synonyms | |
| 
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Tibellus tenellus is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. It is endemic to Australia, specifically known from Queensland. [1]
The species was originally described as Thanatus tenellus by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1876 based on a female specimen collected from Peak Downs, Queensland. [2] It was later transferred to the genus Tibellus and is currently classified in the family Philodromidae (running crab spiders). [1]
Many records of T. tenellus from Asia have been determined to be misidentifications of other species in the genus, particularly Tibellus japonicus and Tibellus orientis . [3] [4]
T. tenellus is endemic to Australia and has been recorded from Queensland. [1] The holotype was collected from Peak Downs, a region in central Queensland located in what is now the Central Highlands Region. [4] [1]
 
  
 The species is distinguished from the similar Tibellus oblongus by having a more elongated opisthosoma (approximately five times as long as wide) compared to T. oblongus which has a shorter abdomen (three times as long as wide). Females possess large spermathecae positioned on a wide base, with copulatory spermathecal gland ducts positioned in front of the spermathecae, whereas T. oblongus has smaller spermathecae on elongated bases with spermathecal gland ducts positioned to the side. [4]