Expert: Walter Hintz - 8/20/2008

Question
Could you tell me what type of spider a Thanatos Flavidus Simon spider is?  This type of spider was referred to in an article referring to Greece in 1929.

Answer
 Hi Nancy:
Information on this spider is hard to locate.  It has been called the Bedbug spider but I do not know of any other common names. I do not know the family of this spider.

I have been doing more research on this spider.  I can find no references or description of the Genus Thanatos. Thanatos is a Genus of snakes I can also not find ant references to a Taxonomist named Simon.  When I search "predators of bedbugs" no spider is mentioned.
 The 1929 article states that thes espiders wiped out the bedbugs.  For this to happen there would have to be more spiders then bugs.  What happened to all those spiders.
In Greek mythology Thanatos was the god of death.  I think this spider may be a myth also.
I may be wrong. I you ever come up with more info let me know