Saitis barbipes
Encyclopedia
Saitis barbipes is a common jumping spider
in the Mediterranean
region, where it can be found on houses and rocks, as well as indoors.
The Australian "peacock spider", Maratus volans
, has a range of superficial similarities to the species, such as green eyes, and an enlarged third pair of legs used for courtship. However, the genera Saitis and Maratus are in all likelihood not closely related.
Females reach about 5 to 6 mm body length. While the female is of a dull brown color, the smaller male is strikingly colored when frontally viewed. With green eyes, black stripes on the four white frontal legs, and red color above the eyes, it is probably the most colorful species of jumping spiders in Europe. The most impressive feature however is the greatly enlarged third pair of legs. These are colored red near the body, fading into black, with white tufts at the end. These legs are used in courtship display. When the male spots a female, he raises these. As he approaches her, from time to time he audibly vibrates the legs. A receptive female will then collapse on her legs and turn her abdomen upward.
Jumping spider
The jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among invertebrates and use it in courtship, hunting and navigation...
in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
region, where it can be found on houses and rocks, as well as indoors.
The Australian "peacock spider", Maratus volans
Maratus volans
The Peacock spider or Gliding spider is a species of jumping spider.-Description:Octavius Pickard-Cambridge noted in his original description that "it is difficult to describe adequately the great beauty of the colouring of this spider".The red, blue and black colored males have flap-like...
, has a range of superficial similarities to the species, such as green eyes, and an enlarged third pair of legs used for courtship. However, the genera Saitis and Maratus are in all likelihood not closely related.
Description
See also
- Jumping SpiderJumping spiderThe jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among invertebrates and use it in courtship, hunting and navigation...