Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates) ➔ Class Arachnida (Arachnids) ➔ Order Araneae (Spiders) ➔ Family Theridiidae (Comb-footed spiders)

Enoplognatha thoracica (Hahn, 1833)

Boden-Ovalspinne

Synonyms and other combinations:

Theridion thoracicum Hahn, 1833 |

  • Enoplognatha thoracica, male 11126
    Enoplognatha thoracica (Hahn, 1833)  Boden-Ovalspinne   
    Enoplognatha thoracica, male, det. Simeon Indzhov
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz; 2023-05-25 13:29:47
    Image number: 11126
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
    2023-05-25 13:29:47
    det. Simeon Indzhov
  • Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, male 9208
    Enoplognatha thoracica (Hahn, 1833)  Boden-Ovalspinne   
    Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, male
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz; 2020-04-08 13:55:09
    Image number: 9208
    male
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
    2020-04-08 13:55:09
  • Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, with exuvia 9204
    Enoplognatha thoracica (Hahn, 1833)  Boden-Ovalspinne   
    Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, with exuvia
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz; 2020-04-10 12:14:25
    Image number: 9204
    with exuvia
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
    2020-04-10 12:14:25
  • Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, with exuvia 9205
    Enoplognatha thoracica (Hahn, 1833)  Boden-Ovalspinne   
    Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, with exuvia
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz; 2020-04-10 12:14:48
    Image number: 9205
    with exuvia
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
    2020-04-10 12:14:48
  • Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, with exuvia 9206
    Enoplognatha thoracica (Hahn, 1833)  Boden-Ovalspinne   
    Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, with exuvia
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz; 2020-04-10 12:15:20
    Image number: 9206
    with exuvia
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
    2020-04-10 12:15:20
  • Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, with exuvia 9207
    Enoplognatha thoracica (Hahn, 1833)  Boden-Ovalspinne   
    Enoplognatha cf. thoracica, with exuvia
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz; 2020-04-10 12:15:43
    Image number: 9207
    with exuvia
    DE, Chemnitz, Hutholz
    2020-04-10 12:15:43

Distribution:
North America, Europe, Turkey, North Africa, Syria, Iran, Turkmenistan. A frequent species in Central Europe.
Habitat:
Enoplognatha thoracica is a species that inhabits a wide range of habitats, preferably sunny, warm and dry places.
Description:
Body length: 2.8 to 4.5 mm; Prosoma brown; Opisthosoma black or dark brown; legs brown.
Similar species:
A similar species is Enoplognatha quadripunctata, which occurs in the Mediterranean area. In Germany, the males of Enoplognatha thoracica can easily be confused with the males of Enoplognatha mordax, which occurs on the sea coast and only occasionally in inland areas.
Biology:
Enoplognatha thoracica builds small trapping webs near the ground between plants, in the leaf litter, in moss, under stones and in small depressions. When a potential prey touches the threads, the spider becomes immediately active and runs to the prey. The prey is spun in, transported to a hiding place and eaten there.
Annotation:
The spider shown here has successfully shed its skin and only has to free the right front leg from the old skin.

References, further reading, links:
  1. Kropf C., Nentwig W., Blick T. & Gloor D. (organizing board). (2019). WSC: World Spider Catalog (version 19.5, Jan 2019). In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2019 Annual Checklist (Roskov Y., Ower G., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., Nieukerken E. van, Zarucchi J., Penev L., eds.). Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2019. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.
  2. Arachnologische Gesellschaft e. V. (2015): Wiki des Spinnen-Forums
  3. Bellmann, Heiko: Kosmos-Atlas Spinnentiere Europas, Franckh Kosmos Verlag-GmbH & Co., Stuttgart, 3. Auflage von 2006, ISBN 3-440-07025-5
  4. Lawrence Bee, Geoff Oxford, Helen Smith: Britain's Spiders A Field Guide, Fully Revised and Updated Second Edition, 496 Seiten, 2020, Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0-691-20474-1.