Episinus maculipes
| Episinus maculipes | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Episinus |
| Species: | E. maculipes |
| Binomial name | |
| Episinus maculipes Cavanna, 1876 | |
 | |
| Known distribution | |
Episinus maculipes is a rare European spider of the family Theridiidae. It is found on the foliage of shrubs and trees. At nightfall, it constructs a simple web, consisting of an inverted 'Y' frame with sticky globules. The frame could be anywhere from five to 20 cm. Almost half of female spiders were found to have caught prey (lacewing larvae and Phytocoris bugs (Capsidae)) within an hour of darkness. Males wander through the vegetation and do not build webs. Both sexes reach adulthood in July and August.