Micrommata virescens

Micrommata virescens
male M. virescens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Sparassidae
Genus: Micrommata
Species: M. virescens
Binomial name
Micrommata virescens
(Clerck, 1757)
Synonyms
  • Aranea rosea
  • Aranea smaragdula
  • Aranea virescens
  • Aranea viridissima
  • Araneus roseus
  • Araneus virescens
  • Micrommata rosea
  • Micrommata roseum
  • Micrommata smaragdina
  • Micrommata viridissima
  • Micrommata viridissima valvulata
  • Sparassus smaragdulus
  • Sparassus roseus
  • Sparassus virescens

The green huntsman spider (Micrommata virescens) is a spider with a palearctic distribution, of the huntsman spider (Sparassidae) family.[1] M. virescens is a species occurring naturally in Northern and Central Europe, including Denmark.[2]

It does not build a web, and hunts insects in green vegetation, where it is well camouflaged.

The green coloration is due to the bilin micromatabilin[3] and its conjugates in haemolymph, interstitial tissues and the yolk of oocytes.[4] A bite from this spider on a human may cause some local swelling and a little bit of pain, and would be gone within 2 days. [5]

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Platnick, Norman I. (10 December 2011). "Fam. Sparassidae". The World Spider Catalog, Version 12.5. New York, NY, USA: American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.iz.0001. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  2. ↑ The Spiders of Europe and Greenland. Family: Sparassidae (Giant Crab Spiders) (list)
  3. ↑ A. Holl & W. Rüdiger (1975). "Micromatabilin, a new biliverdin conjugate in the spider, Micromata rosea [sic] (Sparassidae)". Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology 98 (2): 189–191. doi:10.1007/BF00706130.
  4. ↑ G. S. Oxford & R. G. Gillespie (1998). "Evolution and ecology of spider coloration". Annual Review of Entomology 43 (1): 619–643. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.619. PMID 15012400.
  5. ↑ http://www.bobinoz.com/blog/5749/time-for-our-fourth-annual-pest-control-treatment/

Further reading

External links

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