Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae. They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and usually do not spin webs. Some are opportunistic hunters, pouncing upon prey as they find it or chasing it over short distances; others wait for passing prey in or near the mouth of a burrow.
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.
The zebra spider is a common jumping spider of the Northern Hemisphere. Their common name refers to their vivid black-and-white colouration, whilst their scientific name derives from Salticus from the Latin for “jump”, and the Greek scenicus, translating to “theatrical” or “of a decorative place,” in reference to the flashy, zebra-like coloration of the species.
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.
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.
Hentzia is a genus of the spider family Salticidae subfamily Dendryphantinae. The genus is widespread in North America and northern South America but the center of biodiversity seems to be primarily in the Caribbean and surrounding areas, with the greatest species diversity occurring in Cuba, which has seven species. Some outlier species, such as Hentzia poenitens and Hentzia fimbriata are found in western North America. It appears to be closely related to the genus Anicius from which it differs primarily in certain anatomical details.
Maratus is a spider genus of the family Salticidae. These spiders are commonly referred to as peacock spiders due to the males' colorful and usually iridescent patterns on the upper surface of the abdomen often enhanced with lateral flaps or bristles, which they display during courtship. Females lack these bright colors, being cryptic in appearance. In at least one species, Maratus vespertilio, the expansion of the flaps also occurs during ritualised contests between males. The male display and courtship dance are complex, involving visual and vibratory signals.
Maratus volans is a species in the jumping spider family (Salticidae), belonging to the genus Maratus. These spiders are native to certain areas in Australia and occupy a wide distribution of habitats. They have a specialized visual system that allows them to see the full visible spectrum as well as in the ultraviolet-range; this helps them detect and pursue prey. Males of this species are characterized by their colourful abdomen flaps that are used to attract females during courtship.
Phidippus californicus is a species of jumping spider. It is found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Cosmophasis umbratica is a species of jumping spider found in South and Southeast Asia. They are members of the family Salticidae and the genus Cosmophasis. They are commonly spotted on green vegetation. C. umbratica shows extreme dimorphism when viewed under UV light: males reflect UV on all body parts that are displayed during intraspecific interaction, while females and juveniles do not reflect UV at all. It seems that C. umbratica uses this in sexual signaling. A similar phenomenon is found in some butterflies. For example, several species of Colias and Gonepteryx, both of the family Pieridae, also display sexual signaling.
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.
Anasaitis canosa, previously of the genus Corythalia, is a small jumping spider that can typically be found atop leaf-litter or man-made structures such as fences and exterior walls. This species is more commonly known as the twin-flagged jumping spider due to the two pennant shaped markings on the dorsal side of the cephalothorax. Typical of the genus Anasaitis, this species has iridescent setae ("scales") which may appear white, green or pink which create the "flags" as well as patches on the male pedipalps used in courtship and intraspecific signaling. This species is roughly 5 to 6 mm in length. A. canosa ranges from Mexico to South Carolina along the Gulf of Mexico.
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.
Trite auricoma, commonly known as the golden-brown jumping spider, is a species of jumping spider endemic to New Zealand.
Maratus vespa is a species of the peacock spider genus, Maratus, characterised by its distinctive courtship display. The male spiders are characterized by a bright abdomen, lateral flaps, and an elongated third pair of legs. When attempting to attract a mate, the male spider will raise its colourful abdomen and elongated third pair of legs and wave them, along with extending its lateral flaps. This complex display of courtship is analogous to that of a peacock, hence the common name of this spider species.
Pseudicius adustus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pseudicius that is endemic to Namibia. The spider was first defined in 2016 by Wanda Wesołowska. The spider is small, with an oval carapace typically 1.8 mm (0.071 in) long and an abdomen 2.6 mm (0.10 in) long. The abdomen is elongated like other members of the genus, but with a yellowish with a pattern of eight brown patches. The female has an ovoid epigyne that has a large deep central depression and short wide insemination ducts. The design of the epigyne helps distinguish it from related species, like Pseudicius solitarius, which has larger receptacles and longer insemination ducts. It can also be most identified by the pattern on its abdomen. The male has not been described.
Pseudicius athleta is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pseudicius that is found in Kenya and Uganda. The spider was first defined in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska. It lives communally, in individual nests which may contain either male or female spiders, which engage in complex courtship rituals. The spider is small, with an elongated cephalothorax between 1.8 and 2.2 mm long and an abdomen between 2.2 and 2.8 mm long. The carapace is dark brown with a black eye field but the abdomen has a pattern that differs between the male, which is marked by a brownish-fawn streak, and the female, which has a complex pattern consisting of a herring-bone pattern on the top, diagonal patches on the edge and two small round white spots on the bottom. Pseudicius athleta can be differentiated from other species in the genus by its copulatory organs. The male has a long thin embolus and characteristic tibial apophysis, which has three prongs. The female has narrow tube-like spermathecae. However, it is the swollen first leg, which is reminiscent of the large muscle of an athlete, as reflected in the species name, that most easily identifies the species.
Icius mbitaensis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Icius that lives in Kenya. It was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska. The spider lives communally in individual nests amongst other spiders and preys on insects, relying on its good eyesight to hunt diurnally. It is small, with a cephalothorax between 2.0 and 2.2 mm long and an abdomen 2.2 and 2.7 mm long. The female and male are similar in size and colouration of the carapace. The male abdomen is grey-brown with a faint pattern visible on some specimens. The female has a brown abdomen, sometimes more reddish-brown to the front, with some examples having a patch in the middle and spots to the back. The species is similar to other Icius spiders but differs in the size of the embolus and tibial apophysis of the male and the epigynal depression and pockets, seminal ducts and spermathecae of the female.
Pseudicius matabelensis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pseudicius that ilves in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The spider was first defined in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska. The spider is small, with a cephalothorax between 1.6 and 1.9 mm long and an abdomen between 1.7 and 2.3 mm long. It has a dark brown carapace and olive-brownish abdomen, the latter with an indistinct pattern of two stripes. The male has stout dark brown front legs. The species is similar to the related Pseudicius procerus but differs in its copulatory organs. The female has two pockets at the front of the epigyne and short seminal ducts leading to large receptacles. The male has a very long tibial apophysis and short embolus.
Asemonea clara is a species of jumping spider in the genus Asemonea that is endemic to South Africa. The spider was first defined in 2013 by Wanda Wesołowska and Charles Haddad. The spider is small, with a cephalothorax that is between 1.9 and 2.2 mm long and an abdomen that is between 2.2 and 2.4 mm long. The white carapace is pear-shaped and the abdomen is white apart from two dark lines across the front, a small round dot in the middle and a black dot towards the back. The male has not been described.
