Scotophaeus blackwalli

Scotophaeus blackwalli, also known as the mouse spider, is a species of spider belonging to the family Gnaphosidae.

Scotophaeus blackwalli
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Gnaphosidae
Genus: Scotophaeus
Species:
S. blackwalli
Binomial name
Scotophaeus blackwalli
(Thorell, 1871)[1]

This species is widespread in Britain and northern Europe.[2][3] They are commonly found in Britain around and inside houses, usually in the Autumn, and also under bark and in holes in walls in warmer parts of Europe.[3] It hunts nocturnally.[4]

The adult males of these spiders reach 9mm in length, maturing in the early summer, while females reach 12mm, and can be found until autumn.[2][3][4]

The carapace is dark brown while the abdomen is brown/grey with hairs resembling the body of a mouse, hence the common name of 'mouse spider'.[3] The legs are brown with thick pubescence.[3] The male has a small scutum on the dorsum of the abdomen.[2]

Subspecies
  • Scotophaeus blackwalli isabellinus (Simon, 1873) — Corsica, Italy, Croatia
  • Scotophaeus blackwalli politus (Simon, 1878) — France

References
  1. "Taxon details Scotophaeus blackwalli (Thorell, 1871)", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2016-04-15
  2. Roberts, Michael J. (1996) Collins Field Guide - Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe, Collins, ISBN 978-0-00-219981-0, pp. 108-9
  3. Jones, Dick (1989) A Guide to Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe (revised edition), Hamlyn, ISBN 0-600-56710-9, p. 74
  4. Savory, Theodore (1945) The Spiders & Allied Orders of the British Isles, Warne, p. 64


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