AraneaePhilodromidae – Running Crab Spiders

Thanatus vulgaris

This record describes Thanatus vulgaris (species). Recorded family: Philodromidae. Recorded order: Araneae.

Identification and Appearance

Thanatus vulgaris - Thanatus vulgaris — Contributed by Jeff Hollenbeck; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott

Look for three prolateral spines on femur I. Voucher specimen: male Often found in cricket shipments.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae (Spiders)
Family: Philodromidae (Running Crab Spiders)
Genus: Thanatus

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

Ohio south to Georgia and west to Idaho, and also California.

About Spiders: the wider group

Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Thanatus vulgaris. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.

Ecological role of the group

Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.

Economic and practical significance of the group

The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.

Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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