Abstract
The poorly known crab spider Xysticus laetus Thorell, 1875 (Thomisidae) is redescribed and illustrated on the basis of the holotype and new specimens from the eastern Mediterranean. Its distribution within this region is clarified. Xysticus orientalis Nosek, 1905 is removed from synonymy with X. kempeleni Thorell, 1872 and is considered a junior synonym of X. laetus. A new species, Xysticus abditus sp.nov. (♂), is described from Bulgaria and Turkey.
