A review of the polymorphic crab spider Thomisus citrinellus Simon, 1875 in Africa (Araneae: Thomisidae)

Thomisus spinifer O. Pickard-Cambridge (1872) was described from specimens from Jordan. However, the name T. spinifer was preoccupied, rendering it invalid. Thomisus citrinellus, described by Simon (1875) based on a female specimen from the southern side of the Pyrenees, between France and Spain, became the accepted name to replace T. spinifer. But the nomenclatural history of the species is complex, involving multiple synonyms. In the description of T. citrinellus, an irregular triangular marking and short transverse bands on the abdomen are distinctive for the species, and the legs have bands and spots. These markings correspond with observations of the species by different authors throughout Africa. With more than 100 photographs available of live spiders, at least two colour morphs in shades of pink or brown are seen.