Acacia s.l., known commonly as mimosa, acacia, thorntree or wattle, is a polyphyletic genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae. It was described by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773 based on the African species Acacia nilotica. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not. All species are pod-bearing, with sap and leaves often bearing large amounts of tannins and condensed tannins that historically found use as pharmaceuticals and preservatives.
Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family Salticidae. As of 2019, this family contained over 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders at 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation. Although they normally move unobtrusively and fairly slowly, most species are capable of very agile jumps, notably when hunting, but sometimes in response to sudden threats or crossing long gaps. Both their book lungs and tracheal system are well-developed, and they use both systems. Jumping spiders are generally recognized by their eye pattern. All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes, with the anterior median pair being particularly large.
Vachellia cornigera, commonly known as bullhorn acacia, is a swollen-thorn tree and Myrmecophyte native to Mexico and Central America. The common name of "bullhorn" refers to the enlarged, hollowed-out, swollen thorns that occur in pairs at the base of leaves, and resemble the horns of a steer. In Yucatán it is called "subín", in Panamá the locals call them "cachito". The trees are commonly found in wet lowlands
Vachellia collinsii, previously Acacia collinsii, is a species of flowering plant native to Central America and parts of Africa.
In zoology, a nectarivore is an animal which derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants.
Bagheera is a genus of jumping spiders within the family Salticidae, subfamily Salticinae and subtribe Dendryphantina. The genus was first described by George Peckham & Elizabeth Peckham in 1896. The name is derived from Bagheera, a character from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book.
Messua is a spider genus of the family Salticidae.
A social spider is a spider species whose individuals form relatively long-lasting aggregations. Whereas most spiders are solitary and even aggressive toward other members of their own species, some hundreds of species in several families show a tendency to live in groups, often referred to as colonies.
A Beltian body is a detachable tip found on the pinnules of some species of Acacia and closely related genera. Beltian bodies, named after Thomas Belt, are rich in lipids, sugars and proteins and often red in colour. They are believed to have evolved in a symbiotic relationship with ants. The ants live inside special plant structures (domatia) or near the plant and keep away herbivores.
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms. Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except Antarctica, and have become established in nearly every land habitat. As of September 2024, 52,309 spider species in 134 families have been recorded by taxonomists. However, there has been debate among scientists about how families should be classified, with over 20 different classifications proposed since 1900.
Mexcala formosa is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that is endemic to Ethiopia. The spider was first defined in 2008 by Wanda Wesołowska and. It mimics ants, living alongside and preying upon them. Only the male has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax typically 2.9 mm (0.11 in) long and an abdomen typically 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long. The carapace is dark brown and the eye field black. The spider is similar to the related Mexcala agilis and Mexcala elegans, but can be distinguished by its thinner tibial apophysis and the white scales on its cymbium.
Menemerus minshullae is a species of jumping spider in the genus Menemerus that lives in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe. The species was first described in 1999 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 descriptions she has completed during her lifetime. She originally identified the male as a different species, named Menemerus manicus, but merged the two in 2007. It is small to medium-sized spider with a cephalothorax that is between 1.9 and 2.2 millimetres long and an abdomen between 2.1 and 3.3 millimetres long. The female is larger than the male and lighter, with a dark brown rather than black carapace and lighter brown abdomen. The abdomen has a large, leaf-shaped, pattern. It lives on Vachellia xanthophloea trees, using its flattened shape to hide under flakes of bark. The copulatory organs distinguish the species from others in the genus. The male has a very short embolus with a larger accompanying conductor. The female epigyne has two pockets that have strongly sclerotized edges.
Pseudicius gracilis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pseudicius that lives in South Africa. The spider was first defined in 2011 by Charles Haddad and Wanda Wesołowska. The spider is small, with an oval carapace between 1.9 and 2.2 mm long and an ovoid abdomen that measures between 2.7 and 3.0 mm long. The male and female are similar in size, shape and colouration. The carapace is dark brown with a black eye field and the abdomen is brown with a pattern of six patches that line the sides and two rounded spots to the back. It is almost indistinguishable from species in the genus Afraflacilla, particularly Afraflacilla elegans, Afraflacilla karinae and Afraflacilla zuluensis. It can be best differentiated by its copulatory organs, particularly the shape of the male tibial apo[apophyses, or appendages and the arrangement of pocket and openings on the female epigyne.
Evarcha russellsmithi is a species of jumping spider in the genus Evarcha that lives in Ethiopia. The species was first described in 2008 by Wanda Wesołowska and Beata Tomasiewicz. The spider is small to medium-sized, with a cephalothorax measuring typically 2.2 mm (0.09 in) long and an abdomen 1.8 mm (0.07 in) long. The carapace is yellowish with dark rings around the spider's eyes. The abdomen is brown with an indistinct pattern of spots and lines. The legs are generally brown. The copulatory organs are distinctive. The male has a projection, or apophysis, from the palpal tibia that has a series of tooth-like features, and a very short embolus that is attached to another very small apophysis. The female has multi-chambered spermathecae and distinctive accessory glands.
Evarcha maculata is a species of jumping spider in the genus Evarcha that lives in Guinea, Ivory Coast and Ethiopia. It has been found in savanna in the Guinea Highlands and near bodies of water like the Awash River. The species was first described in 2002 by Christine Rollard and Wanda Wesołowska. The spider is small, with a cephalothorax measuring between 1.7 and 2.3 mm long and an abdomen that is between 1.6 and 3.6 mm long. The female is generally larger than the male, although there are exceptions, particularly amongst those found in Guinea. The cephalothorax has a yellowish topside, or carapace, with a darker eye field, and a yellow or yellowish-orange, or sternum. The abdomen has a distinctive pattern that is basically shaped like a capital "H", referred to in the species name, which can be translated "spotted". The spider has orange or yellow legs. It has distinctive copulatory organs. The female has distinctively shaped insemination ducts. The male has a very short curved embolus.
Evarcha striolata is a species of jumping spider in the genus Evarcha that lives in South Africa. The species was first described in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska and Charles Haddad. The spider lives in savanna and forests. Medium-sized, the spider has a dark orange or yellowish-orange carapace, the top side of its cephalothorax, measuring between 2.1 and 2.6 mm in length and an abdomen that is between 2 and 2.5 mm long. The male has a pattern of dark stripes on the top of its abdomen, which is recalled in the species name. The female is generally lighter and has indistinct lines formed of dots on both the top and bottom of its abdomen. The underside of cephalothorax, or sternum, is dark yellow in both the female and male. It can be distinguished from other species in the genus by its copulatory organs, particularly the shape of the male's palpal bulb and the female spermathecae. These are also more similar to Asian and Australian spiders in the genus, which has led Jerzy Prószyński to suggest that it should be a member of a different genus named Evacin.
Mexcala smaragdina is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that is endemic to Nigeria. The spider was first defined in 2012 by Wanda Wesołowska and G. B. Edwards. Spiders of the genus mimic ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The spider is medium-sized, with a cephalothorax typically 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long and an abdomen 2.7 mm (0.11 in) long. The male has a hooked embolus that is shorter than the related Mexcala caerulea but otherwise the male copulatory organs are similar. The female has not been identified. The spider is most easily distinguished by the green-metallic sheen on its body, which is referred to in the species name.
Afraflacilla zuluensis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Afraflacilla that lives in South Africa. The spider was first described in 2013 by Charles Haddad and Wanda Wesołowska. Originally allocated to the genus Pseudicius, it was moved to its current name by Jerzy Prószyński in 2016. It is hard to distinguish from others in the genus, particularly the related Afraflacilla karinae. The female is also hard to distinguish from Pseudicius gracilis. The spider is small, with a cephalothorax that is between 1.8 and 1.9 long and an abdomen between 2.0 and 2.2 mm long. It has a dark brown carapace with a black eye field. The female has a pattern of white lines on its abdomen, which is otherwise brown on top and yellowish underneath. The male makes sounds by rubbing short hairs on its front legs with its carapace. The male's front leg is also larger than the other legs, which are also generally more yellowish. It lives in the canopy of trees of the Vachellia genus in the mountains of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, after which it is named.
Pseudicius sengwaensis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pseudicius that lives in Zimbabwe. It is found in the Sengwa Wildlife Research Area, after which it is named. The spider was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Meg Cumming. The female has not been identified. The species is very similar to Afraflacilla venustula, including the pattern on the abdomen. It is a small spider, with a cephalothorax that is typically 1.8 mm (0.071 in) long and an abdomen typically 2.3 mm (0.091 in) long. It can be most easily distinguished from other members of the genus by its copulatory organs. The palpal bulb has a distinctive irregular shape, as is the embolus base.
Pseudicius wesolowskae is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pseudicius that lives in Hebei, China. The spider was first described in 2001 by Mingsheng Zhu and Daxiang Song. The spider is small, with a body length that is between 3.43 and 3.78 mm. The male is larger than the female. The spider has a light brown carapace with a black eye field. The abdomen is a dark brown on the top, marked by a pattern of white spots, and grey-yellow underneath, with a pattern of yellow-white spots. The copulatory organs enable the species to be distinguished from others in the genus. The male has a long embolus and unusual tibial apophyses. The female has a cross-shaped marking towards the rear of its epigyne. The species is named after the Polish arachnologist Wanda Wesołowska.
