Runcinia flavida
| Long Runcinia Grass Crab Spider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| female | |
 | |
| male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Thomisidae |
| Genus: | Runcinia |
| Species: | R. flavida |
| Binomial name | |
| Runcinia flavida | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
Runcinia flavida is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae.[3] It is commonly known as the long Runcinia grass crab spider and has a wide distribution across Africa and Spain.[4]
Distribution
[edit]Runcinia flavida has been recorded from throughout Africa, and has been introduced to Spain.[3]
In South Africa, the species is known from all nine provinces.[4]
Habitat and ecology
[edit]Runcinia flavida are free-living on plants and mostly sampled from grass. The species has been found in all floral biomes except the Desert and Succulent Karoo biomes, at altitudes ranging from 4 to 1,842 m. The species has also been sampled in pine plantations and strawberry fields.[4]
Adults are found throughout the year and it takes one year to reach maturity.[5]
Description
[edit]
female
male
juvenile female
The species is characterized by its elongated body form, from which the common name derives. Like other Runcinia species, it possesses eyes on distinct carinae and longitudinal striae on the abdomen.[4]
Conservation
[edit]Runcinia flavida is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range. The species is recorded in more than thirty protected areas throughout South Africa.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ Simon, E. (1881). "Descriptions d'arachnides nouveaux d'Afrique". Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France. 6 (1–2): 1–15.
- ↑ Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. (1983). "The spider genera Misumena, Misumenops, Runcinia and Thomisus (Araneae: Thomisidae) of southern Africa". Entomology Memoir, Department of Agriculture Republic of South Africa. 55: 1–66.
- 1 2 3 "Runcinia flavida (Simon, 1881)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Thomisidae of South Africa. Part 2 My-R. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 55. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513276.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license. - ↑ Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. (1980). "The crab-spiders of southern Africa (Araneae: Thomisidae). 1. The genus Runcinia Simon, 1875". Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa. 43: 303–326.
