Haplodrassus sylvestris

Taxonomic status of Haplodrassus sylvestris:

Regnum: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Classis: Arachnida

Ordo: Araneae

Family: Gnaphosidae

Area

Haplodrassus sylvestris is a very rare spider species, known only from Europe, especially from Northern Europe (Scandinavia). Some population also known from France and England but the biggest populations lives in Norway.  Natural habitats of Haplodrassus sylvestris are forests. It lives in the ground where hunt for preys.

Feeding

As it is also known about all the spiders this species is predator too.  As Haplodrassus sylvestris lives between and under rocks, doesn’t make web, thus not hunting in the usual way. It use to ambush and jump to the prey. Usually this spider hide between the rocks in a burrow, was made from spider yarn by itself. Because of this, spider almost invisible for the preys.  

Breeding

As Haplodrassus sylvestris quite rare and hardly observed species, almost nothing is known about the breeding of this species. Probably the breeding habits are similar to the other species belongs to the Family Gnaphosidae; females take care about offspring.

Appearance

Size depends on sex; females could be larger than 10 mm, while males about 8 mm. They have 8 eyes in the lines. The praesoma is reddish-brown, which colour also helps to hide. Like the other Gnaphosidae spiders, this species is small and has a flat body.  Not only the legs but all the body is covered with kitin hairs.