Jumping Spiders, Salticidae, are active predatory Spiders which hunt
down and leap on prey rather than lying in wait in a web or other trap. Members
of the genus Stenaelurillus are
Jumping Spiders, found predominantly
in Africa, with a few species also described from Eurasia and the Indian
Subcontinent. They are distinguished by the presence of a pair of white stripes
on their prosoma (back) and by large bristles around their eyes.
In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys on 26 March 2015, Pothalil
Sebastian, Pradeep Sankaran, Jobi Malamel and Mathew Joseph of the Division of
Arachnology at Sacred Heart College in Thevara, Kerala, describe a new species
of Stenaelurillus from the Western
Ghats of India.
The new species is named Stenaelurillus albus,
meaning ‘white’ in reference to the colour of the tegulum (part of the male
reproductive equipment). The species is described from seven male and eight
female specimens collected at Kurisumudi in Ernakulam District. Males
were 4.61–5.89 mm in length and had a distinctive uniform black abdomen, a
colouration not seen in any other known member of the genus. Females were 5.43–6.82
mm in length, and had a dark abdomen with yellow markings, similar to other
known species. All were collected on the ground, in a rocky area covered by
leaf litter within a deciduous forest.
Stenaelurillus albus, male (left) and female (right), both in dorsal view. Sebastian et al. (2015).
See also…
Peacock Spiders of the genus Maratus are a group of Jumping Spiders, Salticidae,
found only in Australia. They are small in size, typically less than 5 mm in
length, though the males are brightly coloured and engage in elaborate
courtship dances, which give...
Peacock Spiders, Maratus spp., are a group of small Jumping Spiders, Salticidae, found only in Australia. The group gets its name from the bright colours and elaborate courtship dances of the male Spiders...
Peacock Spiders, Maratus, are Jumping Spiders, Salticidae,
endemic to Australia and distinguished by the bright colours and
elaborate courtship dances of the males. The calcitrans group of Peacock
Spiders currently comprises three members of the genus...
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