Thursday 30 April 2015

Stenaelurillus albus: A new species of Jumping Spider from the Western Ghats of India.


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...
 
 
 
Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.