Thrandina

Thrandina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Suborder: Araneomorphae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Section: Dionycha
Superfamily: Salticoidea
Family: Salticidae
Genus: Thrandina
Maddison, 2006
Species: T. parocula
Binomial name
Thrandina parocula
Maddison, 2006
Species
Diversity
1 species

Thrandina is a genus of jumping spiders, with the single species Thrandina parocula, which is found in Ecuador. It is unique among New World salticids in having strikingly large posterior median eyes.[1]

Thrandina and its sister genus Galianora share the ancestral salticid traits of a tarsal claw on the female palpus and a median apophysis on the male palp. This is rare among neotropical salticids. Both genera are informally grouped as "lapsiines", together with Lapsias. However, the shared basal characteristics with Lapsias could be symplesiomorphic.[1]

Males of this species are about 4 mm long. Its carapace is dark brown to black, except for a central pale longitudinal stripe on the thorax. The legs are pale to medium brown, with a darker femur I. The abdomen is medium brown with lighter chevrons above, and palew below with dark speckles. The female is slightly smaller with a bodylength of 3.6 mm. It looks like the male, but with more annulate legs.[1]

Thrandina parocula was collected from moss-covered branches and tree-trunks in the understory of moist forests at elevations of 1,000 meters and higher, up to 2,270 m. Males walk fluid but hesitantly, frequently pausing and then raising and lowering.their first two pairs of legs in synchrony. A similar gait is observed in Spartaeinae.[1]

Contents

Name

The genus is a contraction of Thranduil, the king of Mirkwood elves in J.R.R. Tolkien's mythology, which, as Thrandina, inhabit shady forests, and andina, referring to the Andean habitat.[1]

The species name refers to the relatively equal sizes of the lateral and posterior eyes.

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e Maddison 2006

References

External links