Bucranium

O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1881

Species Guides

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Bucranium is a of crab spiders ( Thomisidae) described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1881. The genus name derives from Latin/Greek roots meaning "ox skull," though this refers to an unrelated architectural motif rather than biological characteristics. As thomisids, members are sit-and-wait that do not construct capture webs. The genus has been recorded from South American localities including Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Chiribiquete in Colombia.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Bucranium: //buːˈkræniəm//

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Distribution

Recorded from South America; specific locality documented at Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Chiribiquete (PNNSCh), Colombia.

Misconceptions

The name Bucranium is shared with an architectural decorative motif depicting ox skulls used in Classical Greek and Roman architecture. These are entirely unrelated; the spider genus was named independently and does not exhibit morphological features resembling ox skulls.

Sources and further reading