The species was originally described as Plexippus versicolor by C. L. Koch in 1846 from a male specimen collected on Bintan Island between Singapore and Sumatra.[2] Two years later, Koch described what he believed to be a different species, Maevia picta, from the same locality, which was later determined to be the female of the same species.[3]
The species has been placed in multiple genera throughout its taxonomic history, including Attus, Chrysilla, Phintella, and most recently Phintelloides.[4] Recent taxonomic work by Deeleman-Reinhold et al. (2024) confirmed the placement in Phintelloides and synonymized Telamonia leucaspisSimon, 1903 with this species.[5]
Distribution
P. versicolor has a wide distribution across tropical Southeast Asia.[1] It has been recorded from Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia (Sumatra).[1] Specific locality records include specimens from Malaysia (Selangor), Singapore (Lim Chu Kang), and Thailand (Kanchanaburi Province, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, and Chiang Mai).[5]
Habitat
The species has been found in various habitats including forests on limestone and at elevations ranging from sea level to approximately 300 meters.[5]
Phintelloides versicolor exhibits sexual dimorphism in both coloration and pattern.[5] Both sexes have distinctive flattened white hairs on the clypeus, though this feature is more pronounced in females, which display a frontal strip of thick white flattened setae across the entire carapace width. Males show just a small white "moustache" below the anterior median eyes.[5]
The species is easily recognizable by its distinctive abdominal pattern. In males, the abdomen features a dark central band flanked by lateral white bands (appearing yellow in life), which is the reverse of the pattern found in most related Chrysilla and Phintella species.[5] This reversed coloration pattern is reflected in the species' Latin name "versicolor." The thoracic region displays a wide submarginal band with dark edges, and in live specimens appears black with two white central patches and several smaller ones.[5]
Females differ significantly in appearance, with the carapace showing a pair of black semi-rings on a light background on the posterior thorax. The female abdomen is dorsally pale with irregular cinnamon-brown blotches and a central white band.[5]
Males typically measure 4.4-6.3 mm in total length, while detailed measurements for a male from Sam Roi Yot National Park showed: total length 4.70 mm, carapace 2.30 mm long and 1.80 mm wide.[5] The legs in males are dark with light rings on the tibia, metatarsus and tarsus, while female legs and palps are pale.[5]
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