Redescription of the spider Robertus arcticus (Chamberlin & Ivie) (Araneae: Theridiidae), with the first description of the female

Authors

  • J. Pinzon Canadian Forest Service
  • K. Kent Canadian Forest Service
  • D.J. Buckle None
  • R. Bennett Royal British Columbia Museum

Abstract

The original description of Robertus arcticus (Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947) (Araneae: Theridiidae) was based on a single male collected in Alaska, United States of America. The female has remained undescribed, although specimens of both sexes have been collected over the intervening decades. The species occurs in boreal Alaska, and records from Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada and James Bay, Ontario, Canada suggest that it is probably widely distributed in the Canadian boreal. Here we redescribe the male and describe the female for the first time. Most specimens examined in our study were collected from the ground of boreal forest peatlands in northeastern Alberta.

A female goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia) on a prickly rose (Rosa acicularis) that just captured a caterpillar in the River Valley of Edmonton on 13 June 2021. Goldenrod crab spiders are widely distributed across Canada and are commonly encountered in open areas patiently sitting on flowers waiting for prey to approach. Although pollinators (flies, butterflies, bees, hoverflies, etc.) are a significant component of their diet, they also take the opportunity to feed on other invertebrates. The photo was taken by Jaime Pinzon whose son spent half an hour watching the spider and exclaimed “Oh, the kiss of death!”, when the spider finally met its prey.

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Published

2021-12-31

Issue

Vol. 118 (2021): Vol. 118 (2021): Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

Section

Articles

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