Beige beetle jumper | |
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female from India | |
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male from THailand | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Salticidae |
Subfamily: | Salticinae |
Genus: | Rhene |
Species: | R. flavigera |
Binomial name | |
Rhene flavigera (C. L. Koch, 1846) | |
Synonyms | |
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Rhene flavigera, commonly known as the beige beetle jumper or Zorro flat-head jumper, [1] is a species of jumping spider in the genus Rhene . It is widely distributed across Asia, from Pakistan to Indonesia and Taiwan. [2]
The species was originally described as Rhanis flavigera by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1846. [2] The genus name Rhanis was later found to be preoccupied by a beetle genus described in 1834 [3] , so Tamerlan Thorell provided the replacement name Rhene in 1869. Rhene flavigera serves as the type species for the genus Rhene. [4]
In 2022, Caleb and colleagues conducted a comprehensive taxonomic revision that resulted in five species being synonymized with R. flavigera: Rhene citri, R. danieli, R. indica, R. khandalaensis, and R. sanghrakshiti. [5] This taxonomic consolidation was based on detailed morphological analysis of specimens from across South and Southeast Asia.
R. flavigera has a broad distribution across Asia. [2] [6] The species has been recorded from Pakistan, India, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia (including Sumatra). [2] It is particularly well-documented from the Indian subcontinent, where several of its former synonyms were originally described. [5]
R. flavigera is found in various habitats including gardens, agricultural areas, and forests. [7] The species has been observed in tea plantations in the Dooars region of West Bengal, India. [8] It constructs silk retreats by joining leaves together and emerges to forage for prey.
R. flavigera is a medium-sized jumping spider, with females reaching approximately 7 mm in length. [9] The species exhibits sexual dimorphism typical of jumping spiders. The cephalothorax and legs are typically deep to light brown in coloration, while the abdomen shows variable coloration patterns. [10]
The species is characterized by its broad, flat head and thick front legs. [9] The abdomen and cephalothorax are covered with fine hairs and display brown coloration with white and black markings. The legs show distinctive black and pale white banding patterns. [9]