About Macaroeris nidicolens (Walckenaer, 1802)
Macaroeris nidicolens (Walckenaer, 1802) is a species with distinct size ranges between sexes: males reach a body length of 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in), while females reach 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in). Males have reddish brown hairs surrounding their frontal eyes. Two white stripes run along the prosoma toward the opisthosoma, or abdomen. Several white spots cover the top of the prosoma, with one larger spot behind each posterior lateral eye. A white arch covers the anterior end of the abdomen, with pairs of white specks further along. Near the posterior end, four of these specks form a slanted cross. Females are much lighter in color than males. A white triangle sits in the middle of the female's prosoma, while the female's abdomen has the same patterning as the male's. Overall, color and patterning can vary strongly across the species. Both sexes have black, curved tufts of hair on the sides behind the anterior lateral eyes. Macaroeris nidicolens prefers bushes in warm, dry, sunny to half-shaded areas. This species is distributed from Europe to Central Asia. It was first recorded in Germany in 1995, in Cologne, and appears to be expanding its range further.
