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ground spider
ground spider (Sergiolus ocellatus) [male]
Photo © Hank Guarisco
Features and Behaviors
FEATURES
The stealthy ground spiders are small, usually less than one-half inch in length. There are more than 2,000 species recognized in this family. The anterior spinnerets are cylindrical and extend beyond the end of the abdomen. The abdomen is dark with a pattern of white banding. The cephalothorax is red-brown.
BEHAVIORS
The stealthy ground spiders are active at night and hide during the day in such places as under rocks, under logs and in leaf litter. These predators run down their prey instead of catching it in a web.
Illinois Range
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Chelicerata
Order: Araneae
Family: Gnaphosidae
Illinois Status: common, native
