De Smedt, A. & Henrard, A. 2022. ‘Observations of Trachyzelotes pedestris (C.L. Koch, 1837) hunting for terrestrial isopods in Belgium’. Journal of the Belgian Arachnological Society 37 (1): 41-43. ISSN: 2795-8957.  (PR).

Article in a scientific Journal / Article in a Journal

We report two sightings of Trachyzelotes pedestris catching or attempting to catch a terrestrial isopod of the species Porcellio scaber. Observations of oniscophagy are rare in most spider species and to our knowledge these are the first sightings of a Gnaphosidae spider preying on terrestrial isopods. We propose a potential hunting strategy of this spider to catch terrestrial isopods.