Africa Wild

Jumping Spider Natta cf. horizontalis Karsch, 1879
Family Salticidae



Kruger Lower Sabie Camp by ExF (female)


Description
Size: TL female and male 4-5 mm. Carapace is blackish with a narrow white band around the edge, and iridescent scales which give this species a metallic appearance. Eyes circled with red setae. Abdomen is black with small bright red dots and white spot above spinnerets. Leg I black with white spot at apex of patella and tibiae; legs II to IV are yellow to light brown.

Distribution
Widespread in the Afrotropical Region. In South Africa known from the Gauteng, Mpumulanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, Free State and Northern Cape provinces.

Habitat and biology
(Same as for N. Chionogaster) This species is usually found in the vicinity of foraging ants, especially Anoplolepis custodiens F. Smith, which it mimics in its movements (by running in short darts and moving the forelegs up and down to resemble antennae movements), and metallic scales on the body.

https://www.ispotnature.org/communities ... long-story

https://www.jumpingspiders.co.za/gallery.html#n-link

https://wsc.nmbe.ch

https://bioone.org/journals/african-inv ... .0105.full

Field Guide to South African Spiders, Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman - 2014

Jumping Spider Genus Stenaelurillus (Simon, 1886)
Family: Salticidae. Subfamily: Aelurillinae. Tribe: Aelurillini. Subtribe: Aelurillina

Description
*Size- medium sized spiders, ranging from 4.0 to 7.2 mm in length
*Cephalothorax slightly pear-shaped, broadest posteriorly, moderately high, with short eye field occupying about a third of carapace length.
*Eyes arranged in three rows, posterior row equally wide or slightly wider than anterior row. ocular area clothed in long dense brown bristles, among them short thick setae, at least in anterior half.
*Carapace dark brown or black, usually with pair of white stripes starting from posterior lateral eyes (sometimes from anterior lateral eyes) and extending to posterior carapace edge, in majority of species white stripes also along lateral margins of carapace. Some males have very long dense “brushes” of hairs on ocular area and on carapace lateral margins in its anterior part. White streaks composed of light hairs, so in many cases hairs rubbed off.
*Clypeus of variable size, low to high, in some species with contrasting pattern.
*Chelicerae with very small teeth, two on prolateral margin and single on retrolateral.
*Sternum oval.
*Abdomen shield-shaped, with anterior edge straight, often in males dorsum covered by scutum two third abdomen length. Coloration of abdomen usually black with lighter pattern, often one or three rounded white spots in posterior part, in some species part of dorsum area lustrous. Anterior edge of carapace always with long dense bristles.
*Spinnerets thin and long, composed of two or three segments, distal segments black.
*Legs short, usually dark yellow, tarsi with black claw tuft. Leg formula: III, IV, I, II.
*Members of the genus have diverse (varied) palpal structure.
*Some species – apart from retrolateral tibial apophysis – have large dorsal process with showy long flattened black bristles

Data about morphological features demand further studies and maybe would provide useful material to explanation of relationships among species.

Distribution
The geographical distribution of Stenaelurillus is clearly palaeotropical , covering almost the entire African continent, except for the western half of the equatorial zone, and then extending to southern Iran, south and SE Asia, including the southern and south-eastern territories of China. There are no common species between the Afrotropical and Oriental regions.

To date (2014) the genus Stenaelurillus has included 27 valid species (Prószyński 2013; Platnick 2014). The majority of them occur in Africa; only five species are distributed in southern Asia (Wesołowska 2013). Numerous species are poorly known, also data on distribution of Stenaelurillus in Africa are very scanty, many species are known exclusively from the type locality.

Biology
Biology poorly known, ground living spiders, found in warm dry environments, some species associated with termites.


https://web.archive.org/web/20060720081 ... charff.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... Salticidae

Jumping Spider Stenaelurillus guttiger
Family: Salticidae Subfamily: Aelurillinae Tribe: Aelurillini Subtribe: Aelurillina








Kruger National Park, Stenaelurillus guttiger



Stenaelurillus cf. guttiger
Kruger by ExF

Description
Male:
*Carapace dark brown, with almost black eye field, covered with long dark brown recumbent scales; there are two dorsal longitudinal white stripes and two lateral white stripes of scales, plus marginal stripes of dark brown scales.
*Clypeus and chelicerae could be brown to dark brown, sparsely covered with white hairs, yellowish brown to brown, sparsely covered with white hairs, or dark brown, with the clypeus sparsely covered with whitish hairs while chelcerae densely with long white hairs
*Sternum yellow to yellowish brown. Endites and labium brownish yellow.
*Abdomen: dorsum dark brown, covered with dark brown recumbent scales, with a pattern of white wide stripe and V-shaped figure in its anterior half, and with three white spots (two smaller and one larger) on its rear half; some specimens have dark brown, almost black dorsum with only one caudal white spot; venter yellow, in some specimens with poorly marked brownish speckles.
*Spinnerets: anterior and median pairs yellow; posterior pair dark brown.
*Legs yellow, brown or dark brown; Mt and Tr dark brown or black.
*Palps: yellow to brown, brown with yellow at the cymbium apex or yellow with the cymbium proximally covered with brown hairs

Note:The male leg and palp coloration of S. guttiger varies strongly; males with light and dark legs/palps coexist in the same local populations and thus can be found in the same museum samples.

Female:
*Coloration as in the male, but less bright and with less contrast.
*Eye field orange-brown.
*Mt and Tr I yellow to brownish yellow, as the remaining segments.
*Palps brown-yellow.
*Abdominal coloration varies, from as in the male to pale ones where only a median longitudinal white stripe and two white spots are poorly seen on the rear half of dorsum.

Distribution
Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa

© ExFmem
Juvenile, Kruger National Park


https://web.archive.org/web/20060720081 ... charff.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... Salticidae

Jumping Spider Langelurillus krugeri
Family: Salticidae

Etymology: The species name is a patronym for Paul Kruger, former president of the South African Republic, after whom the type locality is named.








Kruger by ExF

Diagnosis
The species may be distinguished by the very wide and low epigyne. The internal structure is slightly similar to that in Langelurillus primus Próchniewicz, 1994 from Kenya, but differs having shorter seminal ducts and the spermathecae placed perpendicularly to the epigastric furrow (parallel in L. primus). Male unknown.

Description:

Female.
*Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.9, width 1.6, height 0.9. Abdomen: length 2.9, width 2.6. Eye field: length 0.7, anterior width 1.1, posterior width 1.2.
*Carapace high, with very steep posterior thoracic slope, pear-shaped, widest at coxae III. Colouration of carapace blackish, dorsum covered with diminutive hairs adpressed to surface, with numerous long brown bristles on anterior part of eye field.
*Clypeus moderately high, dark, with long dark bristles.
*Chelicerae toothless.
* Mouthparts and sternum dark.
*Abdomen large, rounded, slightly swollen, brownish grey with ill-defined lighter patches; clothed in brown hairs, with scattered long brown bristles, denser anteriorly. Venter dark.
*Spinnerets yellowish grey.
*Legs yellowish, bases and tips of segments darker, all femora dark. Leg III longest, especially femora, but leg segments generally rather short. Leg hairs brown. Spines numerous, brown.
*Epigyne low and wide, with two rounded depressions laterally. Seminal ducts short; spermathecae strongly sclerotized, multi-chambered; accessory glands long.

Holotype: ♀ SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Kruger National Park, Mopani, Tsendze, 23°41.460′S 31°31.080′E, active searching, i.2009, B. Reynolds (NCA, 2010/2736).

Distribution
Known only from the type locality.

Habitat and biology
A ground-dwelling spider from savanna woodland.


https://bioone.org/journals/African-Inv ... .0111.full

Family Oecobiidae

The Oecobiidae is a small family of spiders found throughout the world and represented by 7 genera.
From South Africa 4 genera and 5 species are known of which 4 are endemic.

Common names: Oecobiidae (flat-mesh weavers or ant-eaters); Oecobius (dwarf roundheaded spiders); Oecobius navus (house anteater); Paroecobius (rock ant-eaters); Uroctea (desert round-headed spiders).

Life style
Web dwellers (signal-web): small flat sheets are made over different types of substances or multi-layered signal-webs are made under stones (Uroctea); abundance: common (some species) to rare.

Body size: 3-5 mm (males slightly smaller); Uroctea (6-14 mm).

Diagnostic characters
Colour: pale spiders with faint variable darker patterns and white subcutaneous pigment granules except in Uroctea that is yellow, orange to dark with pale spots (5-7) on the dorsum.
Carapace: sub-circular, wider than long without a fovea, clypeal snout distinct in Uroctea.
Eyes: 6-8, arranged in 2 rows in a compact group near center of carapace, with posterior median eyes variable being either circular or sub-circular (Uroctea and Oecobius) or reduced (Uroecobius).
Abdomen: more or less flattened and oval to round, slightly overlapping the carapace, with large two-jointed anal-tubercle with double row of fringed setae.
Legs: short and subequal in length, arranged around body in a star-like fashion.

Web and retreat
Web: true web absent.
Retreat: live under a star-shaped retreat attached with trip-lines to substrate, made over cracks, crevices and in corners of rocks or walls. In Uroctea, the retreat consist of a multi-layered sheet made under stones and consists of a flat web facing the stone.

Habitat
Oecobiids are commonly found on rocks and bark of trees in grassland and savanna regions with Uroctea more common in the drier desert regions.

Behaviour
The members of the subfamly Oecobiinae construct irregular star-shaped sheets as retreats which is anchored with threads that serve as trip lines to the substrate. This retreats are made over small crevices, indentations in rocks and corners of man made structures like window sills. The spider sits beneath the sheet on the substrate with its back to the sheet. When prey touches a thread the spider rushes out and rapidly circle it in an anti-clock wise direction. The egg cocoon contains only a few eggs (3-10) is usually attached to the substratum close to or under the sheet.

House Anteater Oecobius navus
Infraorder Araneomorphae. Superfamily Eresoidea. Family Oecobiidae


© Richprins
Nelspruit, South Africa

The genus Oecobius comprises 84 species, half of which are described from the Canary Islands where most of them are endemic. The commonest species on the Canary Islands is O. navus Blackwall, and it can be found near or under stones and on rock walls. O. navus was originally described from Madeira, but it is now a cosmopolitan.

Description
Body lengths when mature: male: 2.5 mm, female: 3 mm. Immatures resemble miniature adults.
This species is easy to recognise in situ due to its overall habitus. It is speckled in yellowish-brown to greyish-brown with some darker patches.
The carapace is pale, characteristically broad and almost rounded but with a clypeal snout. Legs colour are similar to carapace.
Unlike most spiders, which have the first two pairs of legs pointing forward and the last two pointing backward, oecobiids have all 8 legs sticking more or less straight out from their bodies, in a somewhat starburst-like fashion. In addition to being 'star-legged', oecobiids have their 8 eyes arranged in a characteristic cluster in the centre of a circular cephalothorax.

Distribution
Worldwide, with the main distribution in tropical and subtropical regions.
Habitat
Oecobius navusis frequently associated with urban areas, such as the walls of buildings.

Biology
Makes a small web, which has a diameter of only about 3 cm, and is often made against an edge of something, e.g. from the floor against a baseboard, but it can also be found on walls over small recesses. It lives this tent-like web but does not use the web for prey capture. Instead, it only uses bands of silk to restrain prey.
Movement is rather fast and in a very convoluted pathway. Often feed on ants. If it runs into an ant, the spider switches from convoluted running to running tight circles around their prey, tying it down with silk as it encircles it.
Oecobius navus is considered a facultative myrmecophage (ant-eater).


Under web, Kruger National Park, South Africa © ExFmem


With ant prey, Kruger National Park, South Africa © ExFmem





Kruger National Park, South Africa © ExFmem

Jumping Spider Phintella aequipes (Peckham & Peckham, 1903)
Family: Salticidae


Adult male, Kruger National Park




Female, Kruger by ExF

Description
Measurements (male/female): Carapace length 1.8–2.3/1.7–1.8, width 1.4–1.8/1.4, height 0.9 - 1.0 / 0.8. Abdomen length 1.7–2.0/1.7–1.9, width 1.3–1.7/1.5–1.9. Eye field length 0.9 - 1.0 / 0.9, anterior width 1.2–1.4/1.2, posterior width 1.1–1.3/1.1.
Male
Carapace rather high, slightly pear-shaped, broadest posteriorly, dark brown. Eye field black, near eyes long brown bristles, anterior median eyes surrounding by fawn scales. White scales form pair of spots in front of posterior lateral eyes and narrow line at base anterior median eyes. Some light scales scattered over thoracic area, large whitish patch on foveal area and two streaks along lateral/posterior margins of thoracic part. Clypeus low, dark. Chelicerae long, brownish, promargin with two small teeth, retromargin with single tooth. Gnathocoxae and labium dark brown with paler tips, sternum dark. Abdomen ovoid, narrowing posteriorly, dark brown with white central patch and pair of small submarginal marks. Dark and colourless hairs cover dorsum. Venter dark, greyish brown. In some specimens coloration of abdomen lighter (bleached?), then dorsum yellowish brown with longitudinal darker streaks, but central light patch always marked. Spinnerets brownish. First leg longest, dark brown, only metatarsus paler. Legs II–IV yellow, but apical section of femora, patellae and tibiae brownish. Spines long, brown, leg hairs brownish. Pedipalps small, brownish, sparse light scales on femur and tibia. Single tibial apophysis, short and thin, triangular bulb with large posterior lobe, embolus short spike-like.

Female
Body form similar to male, but carapace lower, chelicerae smaller and first leg shorter. Coloration lighter, white areas form complicated pattern on carapace and abdomen. Sternum brown, mouthparts as in male. Venter of abdomen light, sometimes with median brown streak. In bleached specimens carapace densely covered with whitish hairs, abdomen yellowish with darker streaks. All legs very light, whitish yellow. Epigyne with strongly sclerotized posterior edge. Copulatory openings in central depression, seminal ducts short, receptacles spherical.

Habitat
A shrub-dweller (91% of records), recorded in dense leafy places, such as hedges, creepers, clumps and bushes, on over twenty different plant species, some indigenous, some exotic, both di- and mono- cotyledons. It was normally found on the ventral surfaces (84%) of smooth leaves, though adults, especially males, were seen on dorsal surfaces. Adult males wandered during the mating season and were occasionally found on the walls of the house.

Prey.
Five records; 4 on tiny flies and one on a tiny wasp.

Nest
Nests were found on 5 different plants. One female was inside a nest on a palm leaf, with 19 eggs, below silken coverings, another was inside a hard little ‘cup’ in a dry Erythrina seed-pod, while a third (15–20 eggs) was on the underside of a grenadilla (Passiflora) leaf. Females remained in nests with hatchlings. Several retreats were found: 1) between two adjacent leaves pinned together with silk, one on a palm, one on a low guava tree; 2) under dry leaves pinned to walls; 3) in rolled leaves, both moist and dry. On warm nights several adult females have been observed outside retreats, hanging by 3–4 cm threads from the undersurfaces of leaves, with their legs drawn in.

Behaviour.
This species is fairly gregarious, living in close proximity to each other. Four adult males were seen simultaneously on one small Agapanthus plant, all near a subadult female.

Phenology
Juveniles hatch from November to August, through both hot-wet and cool-dry seasons, but not in the hot-dry season. Adults are present from September–May but not from May–August i.e. they are absent during the cool-dry season. Adult males were observed with sub-adult females in February and March.

Distribution
Widely distributed in southern Africa; reported also from Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.



Oct. 2012, Kruger National Park




This spider might be an undiscribed Phintella sp. or also Phintella aequipes


10952_Wesolowska_&_Cumming_2008_Ann_58_167_230.pdf
(Wesolowska, W. & Cumming, M. S. (2008). Taxonomy and natural history of a species rich assemblage of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae); a long-term study of a suburban site in Zimbabwe. Annales Zoologici, Warszawa 58: 167-230.)

Leigh's Jumping Spider Thyene ogdeni - leighi group cf T. leighi
Family: Salticidae

Thyene leighii (Peckham & Peckham, 1903)

Berland & Millot (1941) recognized Thyene leighi as subspecies of Thyene ogdeni Peckham & Peckham, 1903 without any statement. As the two related species are clearly different in colouration and the shape of tibial apophysis of male palp (the apophysis is wider and has more denticles in T. leighi , we are re- establishing the T. leighi to its original species rank. (Wesolowska 2011 ref. below)






Kruger - Skukuza Camp by ExF (immature male)
.
Description
This species has a light and a dark variety, and varies considerably in size.

The quadrangle of the eyes occupies two-fifths of the cephalothorax and is equally wide in front and behind. The front eyes are a little separated and form a straight row, the middle being twice as large as the lateral. The second row is plainly nearer the first than the third, and the third is much narrower than the cephalothorax.
The cephalothorax is dark brown with a patch of white hairs above the first row of eyes. A white band runs along the upper side of the lateral eye of the first row, and below and behind the dorsal eye, and a patch of white on the thoracic part extends only halfway down the slope. When not rubbed the cephalothorax has reddish hairs around the white spots and around the eyes.
The abdomen on the sides is dark, or is pale brown with black hairs. In the middle of the first half is a white band, and behind this is a metallic brown band with three or four small white spots on each edge. When the abdomen is looked at from the side a curved white band is seen which starts low down at about the middle point and runs backward and downward to the end of the venter.
The legs and palpi are brown, the front face of the femur of the first leg being marked with dark, transverse striae, which are faintly repeated on the femur of the second. The falces project and are short and broad, of a dark brown, somewhat iridescent color, and thinly covered with short white hairs. The fangs are strong. The spines on the tibia of the first leg are in two rows, four in front and three behind, or, in some individuals, four in front and two behind. The tibia of the second leg has the spines 3-3 or 3-2. The metatarsus of the first has two pairs.


.
Distribution
Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa.
.

http://peckhamia.com/editions/Peckham%2 ... Africa.pdf

Wesolowska, W. & Cumming, M. S. (2011). New species and records of jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae) from Sengwa Wildlife Research Area in Zimbabwe. Journal of Afrotropical Zoology 7: 75-104.

Jumping Spider Menemerus bifurcus (Wesołowska, 1999)
Family: Salticidae



Kruger by ExF

Description
Measurements (male/female): length of carapace 1.9–2.1/2.1–2.3, width of carapace 1.3–1.6/ 1.6–1.8, height of carapace 0.6–0.7/0.7–0.8, length of abdomen 1.9–2.0/2.1–2.5, width of abdomen 1.6–1.7/ 1.7–1.8, length of eye field 0.8–1.0/1.0–1.1, anterior width of eye field 1.1–1.3/1.4–1.5, posterior width of eye field 1.2–1.3/1.4–1.5.

Male
Small, flattened spider. Cephalothorax low, broadest behind half of its length. Carapace dark brown, eye field almost black with metallic shine. Fovea sulciform, clearly visible. Brown and whitish short hairs cover thoracic area, greyish ones on eye field, white hairs form light lines on lateral margins of carapace and extending to clypeus. Anterior eyes surrounded by fawn scales, brown bristles in vicinity of eyes. Mouthparts and sternum brownish.
Abdomen oval, brown with poorly contrasting pattern comprised of four pairs of lighter spots. Abdominal dorsum clothed in brown hairs, at anterior edge hairs longer, greyish. Venter yellowish grey.
Legs brown, lateral surfaces of femora darker, tarsi dark yellow.
Pedipalp brown, light hairs on tip of palpal femur. Embolus short with tegular apophysis and membranous conductor. Dorsolateral apophysis long. Palpal femur with long process at base.

Female
Similar to male, but lighter coloured. Epigyne with wide notch in posterior edge and heart- shaped depression, vicinity of gonopores strongly sclerotized.
Spinnerets brownish.

Distribution
Known from South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Habitat
Found on trunks of big old trees, running from under one piece of flaking bark to another.

Nests
Retreats are under strips of bark, and they make a dense cocoon when moulting. Nests were seen between two flat overlapping flakes of bark.

Behaviour
The spider descend from the upper parts of trees on threads. Several individuals live in close but loose association with each other. They are well camouflaged, secretive, shy, hidden from view, flattened and slip easily into cracks in bark. Male palps fluttery.

Phenology
Clearcut seasonal life-cycle. Juveniles appear in March–April (end of hot-wet season). Small adult males and females occur from August, growing larger right through to early March i.e. present in hot weather, both dry and wet. Mating was observed five times from September and January.


Wesolowska, W. & Cumming, M. S. (2008). Taxonomy and natural history of a species rich assemblage of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae); a long-term study of a suburban site in Zimbabwe. Annales Zoologici, Warszawa 58: 167-230.

Wesołowska, W. (1999). A revision of the spider genus Menemerus in Africa (Araneae: Salticidae). Genus 10: 251-353
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/do ... 1&type=pdf

Jumping Spider Menemerus sp.
Family: Salticidae


© ExFmem
Kruger National Park

© ExFmem
This small spider caught a Mayfly

In Menemerus the body is flattened and hairy and the carapace has pale lateral margins. They are sturdy and can be strong jumpers. Overall the abdomen is whitish brown with a broad, dark brown, median band running the length of the abdomen. The leg femora are usually more robust with big protuberances at the base of the ventral surface. The legs are dark brown with some light brown patches and rings.
The female is brown overall with a very broad whitish brown band that runs from the front eyes to the spinnerets. Her legs are whitish brown with brown marks and annulations.
Spiders in this genus are associated with stones, rocks or bare areas in the open with dead leaves, twigs or litter, provided these habitats are warmed by the sun. Some species are found on trees.
Fifteen species are known from South Africa.

Description of the genus Menemerus by Wesołowska:
Medium to big spiders, ranging from about 4 to 10 mm in length; body flattened, strongly hairy. Carapace in the majority of species with white lateral margins.
Cephalothorax rather low, flat and broad, broadest behind half of its length.
Carapace brown, eye field darker, in some species foveal area lighter, yellowish. Whole carapace clothed in short, dense, brown and greyish-white hairs. Near eyes numerous brown, long bristles. In majority of species along lateral margins of carapace extends a stripe composed of white hairs. Arrangement and size of eyes typical for the family. Eye field rectangular or slightly trapezoid, wider than long. Clypeus low, usually brown.
Chelicerae dark brown, with two teeth on promargin and single tooth on retromargin.
Abdomen oval, in some species elongate, in others rounded. Coloration of abdomen varies, frequently dark with leaf-shaped lighter pattern or with pattern composed of numerous light patches. Abdomen clothed in very bushy hairs, at anterior edge hairs longer and denser. Venter usually light.
Legs rather short, generally light, sometimes with brownish rings and patches. First pair legs stronger than others. Spines not numerous, brown.
Male palp big, brown, sometimes with white hairs on dorsal surface of femur.
Femur robust, in majority of species with big ventral process at its base. Tibia very short and broad, its prolateral surface swollen.

Links:
Wesołowska, W. (1999). A revision of the spider genus Menemerus in Africa (Araneae: Salticidae). Genus 10: 251-353
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/do ... 1&type=pdf