Microheros
| Microheros | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Subfamily: | Aelurillinae |
| Genus: | Microheros Wesolowska & Cumming, 1999 |
| Species: | M. termitophagus |
| Binomial name | |
| Microheros termitophagus Wesolowska & Cumming, 1999 | |
| Diversity | |
| 1 species | |
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.
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".
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.
External links
- Diagnostic Drawings Library: M. termitophagus (drawings and photographs)