Plexippus paykulli

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Plexippus paykulli
Plexippus paykulli, female.jpg
Female Plexippus paykulli
Plexippus paykulli 02294.JPG
Male Plexippus paykulli
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Salticinae
Genus: Plexippus
Species:
P. paykulli
Binomial name
Plexippus paykulli
(Audouin, 1826)
Synonyms [1]
  • Attus paykullii Audouin, 1826
  • Attus ligo Walckenaer, 1837
  • Plexipus ligo C.L.Koch, 1846
  • Plexippus punctatus Karsch, 1878
  • Thotmes paykulli F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1901
  • Menemerus crassus Hogg, 1922
  • Hyllus mimus Chamberlin, 1924
  • Sandalodes magnus Berland, 1933
  • Apamamia bocki Roewer, 1944
  • Plexippus quadriguttatus Mello-Leitão, 1946
  • Marpissa bengalensis Tikader, 1974
  • Marpissa mandali Tikader, 1974

Plexippus paykulli is a species of jumping spider. [1] It is native to south east Asia but has spread to other parts of the world and globe. In the United States it is called the pantropical jumping spider. It is usually associated with buildings [2] and may be found near light sources catching insects attracted by the light. [3] It is named in honor of Gustaf von Paykull. [4]

Contents

Distribution

Plexippus paykulli is cosmopolitan in distribution. [5] It is native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. The species has been introduced to the Americas, where it can be found from the southern United States to Paraguay. [6] It is also present in Australia. [7] They are also found in the islands of Maldives. [8]

Description

Plexippus paykulli is robust, with a high carapace. It is covered with short greyish hairs with sometimes dramatic accents of red in the male. Females are 9 to 12 mm (0.35 to 0.47 in) in body length, while males are 9 to 11 mm (0.35 to 0.43 in). [6] The sexes are easy to tell apart as the males have a black carapace and abdomen with a broad white central stripe, another broad white stripe on either side and a pair of white spots near the posterior end of the abdomen. The stripe continues to the anterior eyes so the face appears to have three white stripes on a black background. The female is brownish grey, the carapace being darker especially around the eyes, with a broad tan stripe that extends onto the abdomen where it breaks into two chevrons. There are two white spots on either side of the posterior end of the abdomen. Immature spiders resemble the females. [2]

Biology

Plexippus paykulli is generally found living on and around man-made structures, in particular on buildings, [6] although it has also been recorded from citrus groves [9] and cotton fields. The female creates an eggsac about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter in a concealed location under floorboards, in a crack or under eaves. In this a lens-shaped silken case is made into which 35 to 60 eggs are deposited. The female guards these until the spiderlings emerge and disperse some three to four weeks later. [2]

This spider does not spin a web but builds a silken retreat in an elevated position such as the edge of the ceiling from which it makes hunting forays. It has very acute eyesight and approaches its target prey stealthily, leaping on it when close enough. Prey species that have been recorded as being part of the diet include Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Odonata, Orthoptera and Aranea. In one study, these spiders hunted and consumed individuals of sixteen species of arthropods from fourteen families and six orders. [10] They are reported as being a predator of mosquitoes in African houses, [11] and of insect pests such as the cotton jassid in India [12] and Bangladesh. [13] They are highly agile and can cover many times their own body length in a single jump. [14] In a building where the only available prey were German cockroaches, Blattella germanica, the spiders not only survived but also bred on this monophagous diet. [15] They are able to successfully kill prey twice their own size. Large arthropods are injected with venom but are usually overpowered by brute strength before the venom has immobilized them. There have been records of the prey flying, jumping or running away with the spider clinging to it until the victim was eventually overpowered. [10] A study investigated the way in which these spiders stalked their prey. It was found that a mobile prey like a fly was stalked in a different manner to an immobile one such as a maggot. On a camouflaged background, the spider approached with greater stealth and jumped from a shorter distance to attack a mobile prey. This gave the spider a greater likelihood of a successful outcome without prior detection. [16]

It was concluded based on a study that the protein fractions of Plexippus paykulli venom had bio-insecticide potential. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumping spider</span> Family of spiders

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.

<i>Portia labiata</i> Species of spider

Portia labiata is a jumping spider found in Sri Lanka, India, southern China, Burma (Myanmar), Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Sumatra and the Philippines. In this medium-sized jumping spider, the front part is orange-brown and the back part is brownish. The conspicuous main eyes provide vision more acute than a cat's during the day and 10 times more acute than a dragonfly's, and this is essential in P. labiata′s navigation, hunting and mating.

<i>Phidippus audax</i> Species of arachnid (type of jumping spider)

Phidippus audax, the bold jumper or bold jumping spider, is a common species of spider belonging to the genus Phidippus, a group of jumping spiders easily identified by their large eyes and their iridescent chelicerae. Like all jumping spiders, they have excellent stereoscopic vision that aids them in stalking prey and facilitates visual communication with potential mates during courting. Bold jumping spiders are native to North America and have been introduced to Hawaii, Nicobar Islands, Azores, and the Netherlands. They are typically black with a distinct white triangle on their abdomen.

<i>Hasarius adansoni</i> Species of spider

Hasarius adansoni, known commonly as Adanson's house jumper, is a species of jumping spider that is common in warm regions around the world, often associated with people.

<i>Maevia inclemens</i> Species of spider

Maevia inclemens or the Dimorphic Jumping Spider is a relatively common and colorful jumping spider of North America. In the males there are two forms, a very rare phenomenon in zoology. These use different courting displays, and differ in appearance: the "tufted" morph has a black body and pedipalps ("palps"), three black tufts across its "head", and pale legs; and the "gray" morph has black and white stripes all over its body and legs, orange palps, and no tufts. However, each form accounts for 50% of the adult males, and they are equally successful in mating. A female of Maevia inclemens is 6.5 to 8.0 millimetres long, while males are 4.75 to 6.50 millimetres long.

<i>Menemerus bivittatus</i> Species of spider

Menemerus bivittatus is a spider in the family Salticidae commonly known as the gray wall jumper. It is a pantropical species and is usually found on the walls of buildings or on tree trunks where it stalks its prey.

<i>Phidippus clarus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus Clarus, also known as the Brilliant Jumping Spider, is a species of jumping spider found in old fields throughout eastern North America. It often waits upside down near the top of a plant, which may be useful for detecting prey, and then quickly jumps down before the prey can escape. The spider is one of 60 species in the genus Phidippus, and one of about 5,000 in the Salticidae, a family that accounts for about 10% of all spider species. P. clarus is a predator, mostly consuming insects, other spiders, and other terrestrial arthropods.

<i>Portia fimbriata</i> Species of spider

Portia fimbriata, sometimes called the fringed jumping spider, is a jumping spider found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Adult females have bodies 6.8 to 10.5 millimetres long, while those of adult males are 5.2 to 6.5 millimetres long. Both sexes have a generally dark brown carapace, reddish brown chelicerae ("fangs"), a brown underside, dark brown palps with white hairs, and dark brown abdomens with white spots on the upper side. Both sexes have fine, faint markings and soft fringes of hair, and the legs are spindly and fringed. However, specimens from New Guinea and Indonesia have orange-brown carapaces and yellowish abdomens. In all species of the genus Portia, the abdomen distends when the spider is well fed or producing eggs.

<i>Menemerus semilimbatus</i> Species of spider

Menemerus semilimbatus is a spider in the family Salticidae.

<i>Aelurillus galinae</i> Species of spider

Aelurillus galinae is a species of jumping spider in the genus Aelurillus that is endemic to the United Arab Emirates. It was first described in 2010 by Wanda Wesołowska and Antonius van Harten. The species is small with a cephalothorax that is between 1.5 and 1.8 mm long and an abdomen that is between 1.4 and 2.2 mm long. The female is larger than the male. The female has a spherical abdomen that has a grey and fawn pattern. The male abdomen has a wide brown stripe across the middle and is otherwise yellow. The carapace of both similar. The species is distinguished by the way that the front set of eyes extend beyond the front of the carapace and the way that the appendages on the male palpal bulb have blended.

<i>Plexippus baro</i> Species of spider

Plexippus baro is a species of jumping spider in the genus Plexippus that lives in the Ethiopia. The male was first described by Wanda Wesołowska and Beata Tomasiewicz in 2008. The female has not been identified. The spider is medium-sized with a cephalothorax that is typically 2.7 mm (0.11 in) long and an abdomen 3.6 mm (0.14 in) long. The carapace is brown with three white stripes and the abdomen is russet-brown with a single white stripe. The spider has a pattern of two narrow white stripes on its clypeus which give it a distinctive face. The copulatory organs distinguish it from related species, particularly the male's longer embolus.

Plexippus fibulatus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Plexippus that lives in Kenya. It was first described in 2016 by Angelika Dawidowicz and Wanda Wesołowska. Only the male has been described. In 2017, Jerzy Prószyński suggested that it should be reclassified in its own genus as it does not resemble other Plexippus spiders but this has not been carried out. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax between 2.9 and 3.3 mm long and an abdomen between 2.9 and 3.3 mm long. The dark brown carapace is marked with streaks made of white hairs and the brown abdomen has a pattern consisting of a white streak and chevrons. The spider has a short fleshy embolus and a spike-like tibial apophysis, after which is named, that is set perpendicular to the tibia.

<i>Plexippus fuscus</i> Species of spider

Plexippus fuscus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Plexippus that lives in Guinea. It was first described in 2002 by Christine Rollard and Wanda Wesołowska. Only the female has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a dark brown carapace typically 3.4 mm (0.13 in) long and a reddish-brown abdomen that is 2.3 mm (0.091 in) long. Both the carapace and abdomen are covered in dark brown hairs. The abdomen has a yellow marking like a belt. Although superficially similar to other species in the genus like Plexippus paykulli, it can be distinguished by the presence of a long thin pocket in the epigyne and significant sclerotisation on the edges of the copulatory openings, which are also wider than other Plexippus spiders.

Plexippus lutescens is a species of jumping spider in the genus Plexippus that lives in Namibia and Zimbabwe. It was first described in 2002 by Wanda Wesołowska. Only the male has been described. In 2017, Jerzy Prószyński declared it should be reclassified as the spider has a different palpal bulb to others in the genus, but this was not been undertaken. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax typically 3.3 mm (0.13 in) long and an abdomen that is 4 mm (0.16 in) long. The dark brown carapace has three white stripes and the reddish-brown abdomen has a single stripe of lighter brown. The spider has a short tibial apophysis and thin embolus. It lacks the lateral lobe on the palpal bulb that is visible on other species in the genus.

<i>Plexippus minor</i> Species of spider

Plexippus minor is a species of jumping spider in the genus Plexippus that lives in the United Arab Emirates. The male was first described by Wanda Wesołowska and Antonius van Harten in 2010 and the female in 2020. The spider is medium-sized with a cephalothorax between 3.1 and 3.8 mm long and an abdomen between 3.3 and 4.1 mm long. It has a shape and colouring typical of the genus. The male has a orange carapace while the female is brownish-fawn. The copulatory organs distinguish it from related species, particularly the male's shorter embolus and tibial apophysis and the female's wide pocket on its epigyne.

<i>Plexippus tsholotsho</i> Species of spider

Plexippus tsholotsho is a species of jumping spider in the genus Plexippus that lives in South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was first described in 2011 by the Polish arachnologist Wanda Wesołowska. The species was first found in the Zimbabwean district of Tsholotsho, after which the species is named. Only the female has been described. It is a large spider, with a cephalothorax 4 mm (0.16 in) long and abdomen 5.2 mm (0.20 in) long. It is generally dark brown in colour, with a lighter brownish orange tint to the rear of the carapace and a white stripe along the body of the abdomen. It is distinguished from the otherwise similar Plexippus paykulli in the shape of the copulatory ducts in the epigyne and the presence of significant sclerotization around the gonopores.

<i>Plexippus wesolowskae</i> Species of spider

Plexippus wesolowskae is a species of jumping spider in the genus Plexippus that lives in Bangladesh. It was first described in 1998 by V. Biswas and D. Raychaudhuri. The spider is medium-sized, with a carapace 3.4 mm (0.13 in) and an abdomen 3.2 mm (0.13 in) long. The carapace is dark brown with a black band and white cross. The abdomen is a lighter brown with one white and two black stripes. It is similar to the related Plexippus paykulli that can also be found in the same country, but can be distinguished by features like the elongated almost vase-like shape of the sternum and lack of tibial apophysis on the palpal bulb.

<i>Stenaelurillus modestus</i> Species of spider

Stenaelurillus modestus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Stenaelurillus that lives in South Africa. It was first described in 2014 by Wanda Wesołowska. The species is a specialist that preys on Odontotermes termites, although its venom is also effective against other prey. The spider is medium-sized, with a brown cephalothorax between 2.0 and 2.7 mm in length and a black abdomen between 1.9 and 2.8 mm long. It is generally black in colour. The carapace has a border of white hairs and the abdomen is edged with bristles. It is distinguished from other members of the genus by the male's elongated palpal bulb and straight embolus, and the horseshoe-shaped depression in the female's epigyne.

<i>Stenaelurillus guttiger</i> Species of spider

Stenaelurillus guttiger is a species of jumping spider in the genus Stenaelurillus that is native to southern Africa. It was first described in 1901 by Eugène Simon based on examples found in South Africa, and subsequently also identified in Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Initially allocated to the genus Aelurillus, the species was moved to its current genus in 1974. The spider is medium-sized, with a carapace that is between 2.0 and 2.75 mm long and an abdomen that is between 1.8 and 2.9 mm long. It is dark brown or brown, and has a pattern of white hairs on both the abdomen and carapace and a pattern of two stripes on the carapace. The abdomen has a white pattern of straight and V-shaped stripes and spots which varies between specimens. The colouring of the clypeus and legs can also range from yellow to dark brown depending on the particular example. It is distinguished from other species in the genus by the design of its sexual organs. The male has an embolus that is short and crab like. The female has a flat plate epigyne with widely separated copulatory openings and insemination ducts and a deep narrow pocket. Stenaelurillusguttiger feeds on termites, particularly Macrotermes and Odontotermes.

<i>Carrhotus viduus</i> Species of spider

Carrhotus viduus is a species of spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in South and Southeast Asia. It is the type species of the genus Carrhotus.

References

  1. 1 2 World Spider Catalog (2023). "Plexippus paykulli (Audouin, 1826)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Featured Creatures
  3. Frank, K. D. (2009). "Exploitation of artificial light at night by a diurnal jumping spider". Peckhamia78.1: 1-3.
  4. Cates, Jerry (2011-01-21). "A Pantropical Jumping Spider from Walden Marina, Montgomery, Texas" . Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  5. Platnick, N. I. 1989. Advances in spider taxonomy 1981-1987, a supplement to Brignoli's a catalogue of the Araneae described between 1940 & 1981. Manchester Univ. Press, Manchester NY.
  6. 1 2 3 Edwards, G. B. (February 1979). "Pantropical Jumping Spiders Occurring in Florida" (PDF). Entomology Circular. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (199): 1–2. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  7. "Species Plexippus paykullii (Audouin, 1826)". Australian Faunal Directory. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  8. Gardiner, John Stanley (1904). The fauna and geography of the Maldive and Laccadive archipelagoes : being the account of the work carried on and of the collections made by an expedition during the years 1899 and 1900. Cambridge, University Press. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.10215.
  9. Muma, M. H. 1975. Spiders in Florida citrus groves. Florida Entomol. 58: 83-90.
  10. 1 2 Jackson, Robert R.; Macnab, Aynsley M. (1989). "Display, mating, and predatory behaviour of the jumping spider Plexippus paykulli (Araneae: Salticidae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 16 (2): 151–168. doi:10.1080/03014223.1989.10422565.
  11. Mathis, C. and L. Berland. 1933. Une araigneé africaine: Plexippus paykulli, enemie naturelle des Stegomyia hotes des maisons. C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, 197: 271-272.
  12. Rao, P. R. M., A. Kankaka Raju, R. V. Appa Rao, and B. H. Krishna Moorthy Rao. 1981. Note on a new record of spider predators of Amrasca biguttula biguttula, a serious pest on mesta from Andhra Pradesh, India. Indian J. Agric. Sci. 51: 203-204.
  13. Miah, M. A., A. K. Hamid, M. Qudrat-E-Khuda, and M. Shahjahan. 1986. The problems of Pyrilla perpusilla and the impact of its natural enemies. Bangladesh J. Zool. 14: 9-14.
  14. South Indian Spiders
  15. Facultative Monophagy in the Jumping Spider ..Plexippus paykulli
  16. Bear, A.; Hasson, O. (1997). "The predatory response of a stalking spider, Plexippus paykulli, to camouflage and prey type". Animal Behaviour. 54 (4): 993–8. doi:10.1006/anbe.1997.0525. PMID   9344451. S2CID   11674265.
  17. "Evaluation of venom peptides of two jumping spider species (Araneae: Salticidae) for use as insecticide potential". International Journal of Agriculture and Biology.