Runcinia insecta

Runcinia insecta is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae.^[2] It is a common species with a very wide global distribution in the Afrotropical, Oriental, and Palaearctic regions.^[3] It has been introduced to Australia.^[2]

Runcinia insecta
juvenile female
male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Thomisidae
Genus:	Runcinia
Species:	R. insecta
Binomial name
Runcinia insecta (L. Koch, 1875)[1]
Synonyms[2]
Diaea insecta L. Koch, 1875 Runcinia affinis Simon, 1897 Runcinia annamita Simon, 1903 Runcinia albostriata Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 Plancinus advecticius Simon, 1909 Runcinia cataracta Lawrence, 1927 Thomisus cherapunjeus Tikader, 1966 Runcinia chauhani Sen & Basu, 1973 Runcinia sangasanga Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 Thomisus cherapunjius Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 2024

Distribution

Runcinia insecta occurs throughout Africa and Asia and has been introduced to Australia.^[2]

In South Africa, the species is known from all provinces except Northern Cape.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

Runcinia insecta are free-living on plants.^[3]

In South Africa, they are commonly found on grass in Forest, Fynbos, Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 7 to 1,842 m. The species has also been sampled in cotton, lucerne, and strawberry fields.^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

• 
  juvenile female
• 
  male
• 
  male
• 
  male
• 
  male