Variable-coloured Ant Hunter
The genus Euryopis is closely related to Emertonella. both belonging to the subfamily Hadrotarsinae, and preying upon ants. They have in common a protruding ocular region, a somewhat high clypeus, especially among the males, and a short and posteriorly pointed abdomen. Members of the two genera can be distinguished by the different structures of their male palps.
The colouration of this species is highly variable, ranging from glossy black to light orangey brown with black markings as seen in the specimens pictured. The metatarsi and tarsi are black. Unlike the two foliage-dwelling species of Emertonella in Singapore, this species lives on tree bark.
| Length | ♀ 3 mm; ♂ 2 mm |
| Type Locality | Algeria. |
| Distribution | Widespread, including Singapore, India, China, Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Israel, Turkey, Italy, France, Hungary, South Africa. |
| Habitat | Tree trunks in scrubland, edges of mangroves and secondary forests. In other countries, the species has been found in grasslands. |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
Theridion acuminatum (Original description ♂♀; preoccupied by Wider, 1834, see Entelecara acuminata)
Lucas, 1846 Histoire naturelle des animaux articulés: 268, pl. 17, f. 10 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.112444
Argus episinoides (Original description ♂♀)
Walckenaer, 1847a Dernier Supplément: 501 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.61095
Theridion scriptum (Original description ♂♀)
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 General list of the spiders of Palestine and Syria, with descriptions of numerous new species, and characters of two new genera: 283 doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1872.tb00489.x
Euryopis tarsalis (Original description ♀)
Theridium acuminatum (♂♀)
Canestrini, 1876 Osservazione aracnologiche: 210, pl. 8, f. 4
Euryopis quadrimaculata (Original description ♂♀)
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876b Catalogue of a collection of spiders made in Egypt, with descriptions of new species and characters of a new genus: 569 doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1876.tb02595.x
Euryopis scripta
Simon, 1881a Les arachnides de France. Tome cinquième, première partie: 130
Euryopis acuminata (♂♀)
Chyzer & Kulczyński, 1894 Araneae Hungariae. Tomus II: 20, pl. 1, f. 12
Euryopis acuminata tarsalis
Simon, 1914 Les arachnides de France. Synopsis générale et catalogue des espèces françaises de l'ordre des Araneae. Tome VI. 1re partie: 248, 292
Euryopis acuminata tarsalis (♂)
Miller, 1947 Pavoučí zvířena hadcových stepí u Mohelna: 35, pl. IV, f. 6
Euryopis acuminata tarsalis (♂)
Miller, 1963 Tschechoslowakische Spinnenarten aus der Gattung Euryopis Menge (Aranea, Theridiidae): 343, pl. I, f. 1-3
Euryopis tarsalis (♀, elevated from subspecies)
Brignoli, 1967e Notizie sui Theridiidae del Lazio (Araneae): 189, f. 9A-B
Euryopis tarsalis (♂)
Brignoli, 1968d Su alcuni Araneidae e Theridiidae di Sicilia (Araneae): 95, f. 9-10
Euryopis acuminata tarsalis (♂)
Miller, 1971 Pavouci-Araneida: 183, pl. XXXI, f. 6
Euryopis acuminata (♂♀, Synonym of Euryopis acuminata tarsalis, E. quadrimaculata and E. scripta)
Levy & Amitai, 1981a Spiders of the genera Euryopis and Dipoena (Araneae: Theridiidae) from Israel: 178, f. 1-10
Euryopis acuminata (♂♀)
Zhu, 1998 Fauna Sinica: Arachnida: Araneae: Theridiidae: 36, f. 16A-E
Euryopis episinoides (junior Synonym of Euryopis acuminata (Lucas, 1846)
Platnick, 1998 Advances in spider taxonomy 1992-1995 with redescriptions 1940-1980: 272
Euryopis acuminata (♂♀)
Levy, 1998b Araneae: Theridiidae: 144, f. 265-274
Euryopis acuminata (♂♀)
Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999 The spiders of China: 119, f. 62L-O
Euryopis episinoides (♂♀)
Van Keer & Van Keer, 2004 In België aangetroffen exoten (Araneae) uit de collectie J: 79, f. 1a-b
Euryopis episinoides (♀)
Knoflach & Pfaller, 2004 Kugelspinnen – eine Einführung (Araneae, Theridiidae): 142, f. 24c
Euryopis episinoides (♂)
Marusik, Kunt & Danışman, 2009 Spiders (Aranei) new to the fauna of Turkey: 69, f. 5-8
Euryopis acuminata (♂♀)
Le Peru, 2011 The spiders of Europe, a synthesis of data: Volume 1 Atypidae to Theridiidae: 452, f. 728
Euryopis episinoides (♂♀)
Lecigne, 2011 Inventaire aranéologique dans la Province d'Izmir (Turquie) (Arachnida, Araneae): 56, f. pp. 59-60
Euryopis episinoides (♂)
Rajoria, 2016c Newly recorded species: Euryopis episinoides (Walckenaer, 1847) from India (Araneae: Theridiidae): 57, f. 1-6
Euryopis episinoides (♂)
Vanuytven, 2021 The Theridiidae of the World: 138, f. B.116a, B.119a, B.120-122
Euryopis episinoides (♂♀)
Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2021z The Theridiidae of South Africa. Part 1 A-P: 32, 5 f. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7515890
Euryopis episinoides (♂)
Seropian et al., 2023 Picking pearls from the Silk Road: insights into the spider (Arachnida, Araneae) diversity in Georgia from the Caucasus barcode of life project: 284, f. 128-129 doi:10.3897/caucasiana.2.e110536
Euryopis episinoides (♂♀)
Abdel-Ghani, Hassan & Sallam, 2023 Spiders as a bio-agent factor in a mango greenhouse at Giza Governorate, Egypt: 35, f. 20a-b
* Retrieved from the World Spider Catalog.
Widespread, including Singapore, India, China, Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Israel, Turkey, Italy, France, Hungary, South Africa.