Micrommata virescens, common name green huntsman spider, is a species of huntsman spiders belonging to the family Sparassidae.
| Micrommata virescens | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male of Micrommata virescens | |
.jpg)
| |
| Female of Micrommata virescens | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Sparassidae |
| Genus: | Micrommata |
| Species: | M. virescens
|
| Binomial name | |
| Micrommata virescens | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Distribution
editThis species has a Palearctic distribution.[3] It occurs naturally in Northern and Central Europe, including Denmark and Britain.[4][5][6]
Description
editIn the females of Micrommata virescens, the body length can reach 12–16 millimetres (0.47–0.63 in), while in the males it is about 7–10 millimetres (0.28–0.39 in).[7]
The cephalothorax and the long legs of the females are bright green, with a lighter green abdomen showing a darker green median stripe. The eight eyes are arranged in two rows and surrounded by white hairs.[4] Males are dark green-olive and have a narrower abdomen, with red sides and a red to red-brown median stripe bordered yellow.[8] Young spiders have a yellow-brown cephalothorax, with dark marginal and median stripes. Only after the last molting in the following spring the juveniles assume the typical coloration of the adults.
The green coloration is due to the bilin micromatabilin[9] and its conjugates in haemolymph, interstitial tissues and the yolk of oocytes.[10]
Habitat
editThese characteristic huntsman spiders can be found at the edges of forests, in dry meadows, in damp woodland clearings and rides, where they prefer grass and the lower branches of trees.[8]
Biology
editThese spiders are mainly diurnal. Like many other spiders, they do not build a web, and hunt insects in green vegetation, where they rely on their camouflage. Their green color makes them very difficult to be detected by predators.[8] They grow relatively slowly, taking 18 months to reach maturity.[4] Females are fertile from May through to September. A few days after mating, the males die. In July, the females enclose the egg-sac into a few leaves stitched together.[6] Cocoons are guarded by females. After about 4 weeks, eggs hatch about 40-50 young spiders.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b Oxford, G. S.; Gillespie, R. G. (January 1998). "Evolution and Ecology of Spider Coloration". Annual Review of Entomology. 43 (1): 619–643. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.619. ISSN 0066-4170. PMID 15012400.
- ^ a b Dollinger, C. (2018). Reproductive behaviour of the green huntsman spider Micrommata virescens and its implications for sexual dichromatism. EthoNews 79, 20-22.
- ^ Platnick, Norman I. (10 December 2011). "Micrommata virescens (Clerck, 1757)". The World Spider Catalog, Version 12.5. New York, NY, USA: American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.iz.0001. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Zimmermann, Matthias. "Huschspinne im Natur Lexikon". Natur Lexikon. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020.
- ^ Lissner, Jørgen. "Sparassidae". The Spiders of Europe and Greenland. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "Summary for Micrommata virescens (Araneae)". British Arachnological Society. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ Nentwig, W.; Blick, T.; Bosmans, R.; Gloor, D.; Hänggi, A.; Kropf, C. (2024). "araneae - Micrommata virescens". Spiders of Europe. doi:10.24436/1. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Gomez, Africa (22 October 2015). "BugBlog: Sparassidae: huntsman spiders". BugBlog. Retrieved 1 May 2024.[self-published source]
- ^ A. Holl & W. Rüdiger (1975). "Micromatabilin, a new biliverdin conjugate in the spider, Micromata rosea [sic] (Sparassidae)". Journal of Comparative Physiology B. 98 (2): 189–191. doi:10.1007/BF00706130. S2CID 13617757.
- ^ G. S. Oxford & R. G. Gillespie (1998). "Evolution and ecology of spider coloration". Annual Review of Entomology. 43 (1): 619–643. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.619. PMID 15012400.
Further reading
edit- A. Bayram & S. Özda (2002). Micrommata virescens (Clerck, 1757), a new species for the spider fauna of Turkey (Araneae, Sparassidae). Turkish Journal of Zool 26: 305–307 PDF
External links
edit
Media related to Micrommata virescens at Wikimedia Commons- Macro-Photographs and information on Micrommata virescens (German language)
