Thanatus flavidus is a spider in the family Philodromidae, native to Greece, Ukraine and European Russia.[1] It has been noted for hunting bedbugs.[2] The males have been filmed biting the females legs, binding her body with silk and mating. Once mating has finished the male runs away.[3]

Thanatus flavidus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Philodromidae
Genus: Thanatus
Species:
T. flavidus
Binomial name
Thanatus flavidus
Simon, 1875[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Taxon details Thanatus flavidus Simon, 1875". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  2. ^ "Medicine: Bedbug Hunters". Time. 1929-09-09. Archived from the original on 2009-04-06. Original version, while available, requires subscription, archived copy does not. (Thanatus is misspelled Thanatos in the article.)
  3. ^ Learn, Joshua Rapp (21 November 2021). "Some male spiders tie up females to avoid being eaten". New Scientist. No. 3309. p. 18.
  • Lorando, N. T. (1929). "A biological method of destroying bedbugs". Scientific Monthly. 29 (3): 265–68. Bibcode:1929SciMo..29..265L.