Microheros

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Microheros
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Aelurillinae
Tribe: Aelurillini
Genus: Microheros
Wesolowska & Cumming, 1999
Species: M. termitophagus
Diversity
1 species
Binomial name
Microheros termitophagus
Wesolowska & Cumming, 1999

Microheros is a spider genus of the Salticidae family (jumping spiders) with only one described species, M. termitophagus, which occurs in Transvaal and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa. It is unusual in feeding on termites; related genera, for example Aelurillus, feed on ants.

[edit] Name

The genus name is combined from micro (Greek μικρός for "small") and heroes for "hero". The species name is Greek for "feeding on termites".

[edit] References

  • Wesolowska, W. & Cumming, Meg S. (1999): The first termitivorous jumping spider (Araneae: Salticidae). Bulletin British Arachnological Society 11(5): 204-208.
  • Platnick, Norman I. (2007): The world spider catalog, version 8.0. American Museum of Natural History.

[edit] External links