Found this bug on my floor. It is dead, which is probably why its legs are curled up. I apologize for the fact that I don't live in the US or Canada, this bug was found by me this morning in my room in Malta, Europe. A small island in the Mediterranean sea. The weather is relatively warm, around 85F. Thanks if you can identify this bug for me.
Welcome!
We have requests from all over the world and should be able to give you some information shortly. I know I've worked with people in Kenya, France, Sweden and Indonesia just in the last week or so. Although we are based in North America, there are many people here from all corners of the globe.
Our spider expert should be along shortly (I think it is a spider) and should be able to offer you some information.
Unfortunately, the condition of this specimen as well as the angle from which the photo was taken preclude a positive identification. About all I can say is that it could be in the family Dysderidae, which includes the very widespread species Dysdera crocata, commonly known as the woodlouse spider - see http://tinyurl.com/2frpqev for an intact specimen.
Hi,
Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, I can say with relative certainty that the spider in your picture does not look like the one I have here. It's lower body is completely different. I don't blame you, I blame my mobile phone camera, so I will try and get a better shot when I find my Digital Camera's charger.
Thanks again
Please bear in mind that your specimen is extremely desiccated. In life, its abdomen would have been much larger than the cephalothorax (the front part of the spider's body).
I guess you are right, i'm just wondering about how it can be "extremely desiccated". I found it today on the floor of my bedroom, it definitely was not there before. How long would it take for the spider to die and look like this? To me it looks all dried up like its been dead for days if not longer. Just wondering how it could have reached my floor...
Depending on temperature and relative humidity, anywhere from a couple of days on up. Perhaps some other critter drug it in there.
Also, the species you described seem to be attracted to woodlice. Now my house is definitely not made of wood and I certainly don't have any rotting wood here. I do have 3 cats, do you think a cat could carry a dead spider and drop it, keeping it intact like this?
I'm charging my camera, tomorrow (about 12 hours from now) I will have some high-res pics up for you.
Thanks
Seb
Woodlice (terrestrial crustaceans in the order Isopoda) will enter just about any building regardless of construction material if harborage and moisture sources are available. They do not eat wood, but primarily are scavengers on decomposing organic matter. And cats will carry just about any object small enough for them to pick up.
