Zodarion italicum
Encyclopedia
Zodarion italicum is a Europe
an ant
-eating spider. Like the closely related Z. hamatum, it is nocturnal and captures various ant species.. Z. italicum seems to be specialized in Formicinae
ants. Both species are generalized mimics of orange-dark brown ants, such as Lasius emarginatus.
It was first discovered in Britain
in 1984, where it is widespread in the Grays
area of Essex
and occurs among rubble on waste ground and in chalk quarries, often with the ant Lasius niger.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
-eating spider. Like the closely related Z. hamatum, it is nocturnal and captures various ant species.. Z. italicum seems to be specialized in Formicinae
Formicinae
Formicinae is a subfamily within the Formicidae containing ants of moderate evolutionary development.Formicines retain some primitive features such as the presence of cocoons around pupae, the presence of ocelli in workers, and little tendency toward reduction of palp or antennal segmentation in...
ants. Both species are generalized mimics of orange-dark brown ants, such as Lasius emarginatus.
It was first discovered in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in 1984, where it is widespread in the Grays
Grays
Grays is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex and one of the Thurrock's traditional parishes...
area of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and occurs among rubble on waste ground and in chalk quarries, often with the ant Lasius niger.