''Micrommata virescens'', common name green huntsman spider, is a species of

huntsman spider Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometim ...

s belonging to the family

Sparassidae Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometim ...

Distribution

This species has a Palearctic distribution. It occurs naturally in Northern and Central Europe, including Denmark and southern Britain.

Description

In the females of ''Micrommata virescens,'' the body length can reach , while in the males it is about .Araneae
/ref> 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. Males are dark green-olive and have a narrower abdomen, with red sides and a red to red-brown median stripe bordered yellow.
(see section 'Thursday, 22 October 2015, Sparassidae: huntsman spiders') ''abugblog.blogspot.it'', accessed 7 August 2022 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 Micromatabilin, the green pigment of the spider species ''Micrommata virescens'', is characterized as a mixture of biliverdin Biliverdin (latin for green bile) is a green tetrapyrrolic bile pigment, and is a product of heme catabolism.Boron W, ...

and its conjugates in

haemolymph Hemolymph, or haemolymph, is a fluid, analogous to the blood in vertebrates, that circulates in the interior of the arthropod (invertebrate) body, remaining in direct contact with the animal's tissues. It is composed of a fluid plasma in which ...

interstitial tissue An interstitial space or interstice is a space between structures or objects. In particular, interstitial may refer to: Biology * Interstitial cell tumor * Interstitial cell, any cell that lies between other cells * Interstitial collagenase, ...

s and the yolk of

oocyte An oocyte (, ), oöcyte, or ovocyte is a female gametocyte or germ cell involved in reproduction. In other words, it is an immature ovum, or egg cell. An oocyte is produced in a female fetus in the ovary during female gametogenesis. The femal ...

Habitat

These 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.

Biology

These 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. They grow relatively slowly, taking 18 months to reach maturity.Natur-lexikon
/ref> 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. Cocoons are guarded by females. After about 4 weeks, eggs hatch about 40-50 young spiders.

References

External links

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q403009 Sparassidae Spiders of Europe Arthropods of Turkey Spiders described in 1757 Taxa named by Carl Alexander Clerck Palearctic spiders