About Mitopus morio (Fabricius, 1779)
Mitopus morio shows significant variation in both body size and coloration. Male body length ranges from approximately 4 to 6 millimetres (0.16–0.24 inches), while female body length ranges from approximately 4 to 8.5 millimetres (0.16–0.33 inches). The body is ovate in shape, and is slightly narrower in males. The head of this species bears numerous tiny bumps. The eyes are small and narrow, longer than they are wide, with a variable number of small spikes surrounding the eyebrow. Males are typically brown, while females are usually darker. A dark, irregular, saddle-shaped area is always present on the back; this area sometimes has narrow white edges and a longitudinal pinkish stripe at its centre. The legs are thin and long, and range in colour from yellowish-brown to dark brown. The longest leg, belonging to the second pair, measures 30 to 40 millimetres in length. Males have a sharp, forward-pointing tooth on the underside of the first segment of the chelicera. This species is quite similar in appearance to female Phalangium opilio, and may be confused with them. This species is distributed across Europe, North Africa, Asia, and North America. It is a very common species that inhabits a wide range of different biotopes, including forests, heath, moorland, spruce forests, beech forests, meadows, human settlements, and gardens, and occurs from lowlands up into mountain areas.
