Menemerus utilis

Menemerus utilis is a medium-sized spider. The female has a brown carapace that is between 2.9 and 3.3 mm (0.11 and 0.13 in) long and is covered by light grey hairs, interspersed with occasional brown bristles. The eye field is black. The spider has a low clypeus that has white hairs. The chelicerae, labium and maxilae are brown. The sternum is yellow. The spider's yellowish abdomen is between 4.8 and 6.5 mm (0.19 and 0.26 in) long. It has brown hairs on the top and a pattern that looks somewhat like a leaf, although faint. There are long brown bristles on the side and the underside is light. It has yellowish spinnerets and light brown legs, the latter covered in brown hairs with brown spines. The spider's copulatory organs are distinctive. The epigyne is large and heavily sclerotized. There is a very large and deep central depression and a notch in the middle of the very edge at the rear. The copulatory openings lead to short insemination ducts and spermathecae placed to the edge of the rear of the epigyne. The male has not been described. Spiders of the Menemerus genus are difficult to distinguish. The species can be identified by its copulatory organs, particularly the structure of the epigyne. It is unusual in not having an epigynal pocket, but instead a large hollow in the centre of the epigyne. …

Menemerus spiders are found throughout Africa and Asia, and have been identified as far as Latin America. Menemerus utilis is endemic to Tunisia.

Due to their good eyesight, Menemerus spiders are mostly diurnal hunters. They attack using a complex approach to their prey and are generally more proactive in comparison to web-spinning spiders. They undertake complex courtship displays while the males will display aggressively between themselves. The spider is likely to eat nectar.