Kingdom Animalia Class Arachnida Family Zodariidae Scientific name Zodarion germanicum | Phylum Arthropoda Order Araneae Genus Zodarion Rank Species | |
Similar Zodarion, Zodarion italicum, Callobius claustrarius, Clubiona trivialis, Oonops domesticus | ||
Zodarion germanicum is a spider species of the family Zodariidae.
Like most Zodariidae, Z. germanicum is an ant-eating spider. It resembles ants structurally and behaviorally. Z. germanicum specifically mimics large dark ants, such as Formica cinerea, F. truncorum, and Camponotus ligniperda.
Z. germanicum is up to 5 mm in size. Adults occur in Germany from June to August. Unlike many other zodariid spiders, it is active during the day.
If the spider encounters an ant, it retreats and stalks its prey from behind. The bitten ant will continue its walk for about a minute before the poison immobilizes it. Only now the spider will approach its prey and carries it to its hideout.
Distribution
Z. germanicum occurs throughout Central Europe.
References
Zodarion germanicum Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA