Myrmarachne

Myrmarachne
Myrmarachne plataleoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Salticidae
Subfamily:	Myrmarachninae
Genus:	Myrmarachne Macleay, 1839
Type species
Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839
Species
M. formicaria M. inermichelis M. plataleoides M.striatipes hundreds more, see text
Diversity
205 species

Myrmarachne is a genus of jumping spiders which imitate an ant by waving their front legs in the air to simulate antennae. Some species also look strikingly like ants.

Spiders in this genus are commonly called "antmimicking spiders", although there are many other spiders that mimic ants.

Description

The cephalothorax is elongate, with long chelicerae projecting forward in males. A waist is present on the cephalothorax, and often also on the opisthosoma. Colors vary from black to yellow, depending on the mimicked ant species. One African species was observed to mimick one species when immature, and another as an adult.^[1]

The genus Bocus is so similar to Myrmarachne as to be indistinguishable without the help of a microscope^[1].

Distribution

Myrmarachne mainly occurs in the tropics from Africa to Australia, with some species found in the New World. A few species, such as the palearctic M. formicaria, occur in temperate regions. With about 80 described and many undescribed southeast Asian species, it is the most diverse genus of jumping spider in this region.^[1]

Name

The genus name is a combination of Ancient Greek myrmex "ant" and arachne "spider".

Species

An ant-mimicking jumping spider in Bangalore, India.

M. albocincta (C. L. Koch, 1846) — USA M. albosetosa Wanless, 1978 — South Africa M. alticeps (Thorell, 1890) — Java M. andrewi Wanless, 1978 — Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola M. andringitra Wanless, 1978 — Madagascar M. angusta (Thorell, 1877) — Sulawesi M. annamita Zabka, 1985 — China, Vietnam M. annandalei Simon, 1901 — Malaysia M. assimilis Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. attenuata (Karsch, 1880) — Philippines M. attenuata (O. P-Cambridge, 1901) — Singapore M. augusta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Madagascar M. aureonigra Edmunds & Prószynski, 2003 — Malaysia, Singapore M. austriaca (Doleschall, 1852) — Austria M. bakeri Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. bamakoi Berland & Millot, 1941 — Mali M. bengalensis Tikader, 1973 — India, Andaman Islands M. bicolor (L. Koch, 1879) — Queensland M. bicurvata (O. P.-Cambridge, 1869) — Sri Lanka M. bidentata Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. biseratensis Badcock, 1918 — Malaysia M. borneensis Peckham & Peckham, 1907 — Borneo M. brasiliensis Mello-Leitão, 1922 — Brazil M. brevis Xiao, 2002 — China M. calcuttaensis Biswas, 1984 — India M. caliraya Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 — Philippines M. capito (Thorell, 1890) — Java M. centralis (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Mexico to Panama M. chapmani Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. chickeringi Galiano, 1969 — Panama M. circulus Xiao & Wang, 2004 — China M. clavigera (Thorell, 1877) — Sulawesi M. cognata (L. Koch, 1879) — New South Wales, Victoria M. collarti Roewer, 1965 — Congo, Uganda M. confusa Wanless, 1978 — Angola, São Tomé M. consobrina Denis, 1955 — Niger M. constricta (Blackwall, 1877) — Seychelles M. cornuta Badcock, 1918 — Malaysia, Singapore M. corpuzrarosae Barrion, 1981 — Philippines M. cowani (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Madagascar M. cuneata Badcock, 1918 — Malaysia M. cuprea (Hogg, 1896) — Central Australia M. debilis (Thorell, 1890) — Java M. decorata Reimoser, 1927 — Sumatra M. diegoensis Wanless, 1978 — Madagascar M. dilatata (Karsch, 1880) — Malawi M. dirangicus Bastawade, 2002 — India M. dubia (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Philippines M. dundoensis Wanless, 1978 — Angola, Botswana M. edentata Berry, Beatty & Prószynski, 1996 — Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands M. edentula (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Philippines M. edwardsi Berry, Beatty & Prószynski, 1996 — Caroline Islands M. eidmanni Roewer, 1942 — Bioko, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Congo M. electrica (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Madagascar M. elongata Szombathy, 1915 — Africa to Vietnam M. erythrocephala (L. Koch, 1879) — Queensland M. eugenei Wanless, 1978 — Madagascar M. eumenes (Simon, 1900) — Madagascar M. evidens Roewer, 1965 — Congo M. exasperans (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Java, Philippines M. exilisata (Huang, 2004) — Taiwan M. foenisex Simon, 1910 — West, Central Africa M. foreli Lessert, 1925 — Angola, Botswana, Malawi, South Africa M. formica (Doleschall, 1859) — Amboina M. formicaria (de Geer, 1778) — (Palearctic, introduced to USA) Myrmarachne formicaria tyrolensis (C. L. Koch, 1846) — Central Europe M. formosa Thorell, 1890) — Sumatra, Sulawesi M. formosana (Matsumura, 1911) — Taiwan M. formosana (Saito, 1933) — Taiwan M. formosicola Strand, 1910 — Taiwan M. galianoae Cutler, 1981 — Bolivia M. gedongensis Badcock, 1918 — Malaysia M. gigantea Zabka, 1985 — Vietnam M. giltayi Roewer, 1965 — Congo, Angola, Kenya M. gisti Fox, 1937 — China, Vietnam M. globosa Wanless, 1978 — Angola to Vietnam M. grossa Edmunds & Prószynski, 2003 — Malaysia M. guaranitica Galiano, 1969 — Argentina M. hanoii Zabka, 1985 — Vietnam M. hesperia (Simon, 1887) — Ivory Coast, Ghana M. hidaspis Caporiacco, 1935 — Karakorum M. himalayensis Narayan, 1915 — India M. hirsutipalpi Edmunds & Prószynski, 2003 — Malaysia M. hispidacoxa Edmunds & Prószynski, 2003 — Malaysia M. hoffmanni Strand, 1913 — China M. ichneumon (Simon, 1886) — Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, South Africa M. imbellis (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Sri Lanka M. incerta Narayan, 1915 — India M. inermichelis Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 — Russia, Korea, Taiwan, Japan M. inflatipalpis Wanless, 1978 — Botswana, Malawi, South Africa M. insulana Roewer, 1942 — Bioko, Ghana M. iridescens Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. isolata Clark & Benoit, 1977 — St. Helena M. jacobsoni Reimoser, 1925 — Sumatra M. jajpurensis Prószynski, 1992 — India M. japonica (Karsch, 1879) — Russia, China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan M. jugularis Simon, 1901 — Australia M. kiboschensis Lessert, 1925 — Botswana to Vietnam M. kilifi Wanless, 1978 — Kenya, Tanzania M. kitale Wanless, 1978 — Kenya M. kochi Reimoser, 1925 — Malaysia, Sumatra, Indonesia M. kuwagata Yaginuma, 1967 — China, Korea, Japan M. laeta (Thorell, 1887) — India, Pakistan, Nias, China Myrmarachne laeta flava Narayan, 1915 — India Myrmarachne laeta praelonga (Thorell, 1890) — Myanmar M. lanyuensis (Huang, 2004) — Taiwan M. laticorseleta (Huang, 2004) — Taiwan M. laurentina Bacelar, 1953 — Mozambique, South Africa

M. lawrencei Roewer, 1965 — Gabon, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania M. legon Wanless, 1978 — Ghana, Ivory Coast M. leleupi Wanless, 1978 — South Africa M. leptognatha (Thorell, 1890) — Java M. lesserti Lawrence, 1938 — South Africa M. linguiensis Zhang & Song, 1992 — China M. longiventris (Simon, 1903) — Madagascar M. luachimo Wanless, 1978 — Angola M. luctuosa (L. Koch, 1879) — New South Wales M. ludhianaensis Sadana & Gupta, 1998 — India M. lugens (Thorell, 1881) — Moluccas M. lugubris (Kulczynski, 1895) — Russia, China, Korea M. lulengana Roewer, 1965 — Congo, Kenya, Botswana M. lulengensis Roewer, 1965 — Congo M. lupata (L. Koch, 1879) — Queensland M. luteopalpis (Huang, 2004) — Taiwan M. macleayana (Bradley, 1876) — Queensland M. macrognatha (Thorell, 1894) — Java M. magna Saito, 1933 — Taiwan M. mahasoa Wanless, 1978 — Madagascar M. malayana Edmunds & Prószynski, 2003 — Malaysia M. mandibularis (Thorell, 1890) — Java M. manducator (Westwood, 1841) — India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Sumatra M. maratha Tikader, 1973 — India M. markaha Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 — Philippines M. marshalli Peckham & Peckham, 1903 — Africa M. maxillosa (C. L. Koch, 1846) — Myanmar to China, Philippines, Sulawesi Myrmarachne maxillosa septemdentata Strand, 1907 — China M. mcgregori Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. megachelae Ganesh Kumar & Mohanasundaram, 1998 — India M. melanocephala Macleay, 1839 — Asia M. melanotarsa Wesolowska & Salm, 2002 — Kenya M. militaris Szombathy, 1913 — West, Central, East Africa M. mocamboensis Galiano, 1974 — Brazil M. moesta (Thorell, 1877) — Sulawesi M. mussungue Wanless, 1978 — Angola M. myrmicaeformis (Lucas, 1871) — Algeria M. naro Wanless, 1978 — Kenya M. natalica Lessert, 1925 — South Africa M. nemorensis (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Myanmar M. nigella Simon, 1901 — Philippines M. nigeriensis Wanless, 1978 — São Tomé, Ghana, Nigeria, Angola M. nigra (Thorell, 1877) — Sulawesi M. nitidissima (Thorell, 1877) — Sulawesi M. nubilis Wanless, 1978 — Madagascar M. onceana Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 — Philippines M. opaca (Karsch, 1880) — India M. orientales Tikader, 1973 — Pakistan, India, Andaman Islands M. paivae Narayan, 1915 — India M. palladia Denis, 1958 — Afghanistan M. panamensis Galiano, 1969 — Panama, Argentina M. parallela (Fabricius, 1798) — West Indies, Nicaragua, Panama M. patellata Strand, 1907 — China M. paviei (Simon, 1886) — Thailand M. peckhami Roewer, 1951 — Madagascar M. pectorosa (Thorell, 1890) — Sumatra Myrmarachne pectorosa sternodes (Thorell, 1890) — Sumatra M. penicillata Mello-Leitão, 1933 — Brazil M. piercei Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. pinakapalea Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 — Philippines M. pinoysorum Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 — Philippines M. pisarskii Berry, Beatty & Prószynski, 1996 — Caroline Islands M. plataleoides (O. P.-Cambridge, 1869) — India, Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia M. platypalpa Bradoo, 1980 — India M. poonaensis Tikader, 1973 — India M. prognatha (Thorell, 1887) — Myanmar M. providens (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — India, Sri Lanka M. pygmaea (Thorell, 1894) — Singapore M. radiata (Thorell, 1894) — Java M. ramosa Badcock, 1918 — Malaysia, Singapore M. ramunni Narayan, 1915 — India, Pakistan M. ransoni Wanless, 1978 — Madagascar M. rhopalota (Thorell, 1895) — Myanmar M. richardsi Wanless, 1978 — Ghana M. robusta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Myanmar M. roeweri Reimoser, 1934 — India M. rufescens (Thorell, 1877) — Sulawesi M. rufisquei Berland & Millot, 1941 — Senegal M. russellsmithi Wanless, 1978 — Nigeria M. satarensis Narayan, 1915 — India M. schenkeli Peng & Li, 2002 — Hong Kong M. seriatus Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. shelfordi Peckham & Peckham, 1907 — Borneo M. simoni (L. Koch, 1879) — Queensland M. simonis (Herman, 1879) — Hungary, Croatia, Romania M. simplexella Roewer, 1951 — Madagascar M. solitaria Peckham & Peckham, 1903 — South Africa M. spissa (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Sri Lanka M. striatipes (L. Koch, 1879) — Queensland, New South Wales M. sumana Galiano, 1974 — Brazil M. tagalica Banks, 1930 — Philippines M. tayabasana Chamberlin, 1925 — Philippines M. thaii Zabka, 1985 — Vietnam M. topali Zabka, 1985 — Vietnam M. transversa (Mukerjee, 1930) — India M. tristis (Simon, 1882) — Libya to India M. turriformis Badcock, 1918 — Malaysia M. uelensis Wanless, 1978 — Congo M. uniseriata Narayan, 1915 — India M. uvira Wanless, 1978 — Ghana, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana M. vanessae Wanless, 1978 — Ivory Coast, Tanzania M. vehemens Fox, 1937 — China M. vestita (Thorell, 1895) — Myanmar M. volatilis (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) — Madagascar, China, Vietnam M. vulgarisa Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 — Philippines M. wanlessi Edmunds & Prószynski, 2003 — Malaysia

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Murphy & Murphy 2000: 304

References

• Murphy, Frances & Murphy, John (2000): An Introduction to the Spiders of South East Asia. Malaysian Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur.
• Platnick, Norman I. (2007): The world spider catalog, version 8.0. American Museum of Natural History.

Further reading

• Nelson, X.J., Jackson, R.R., Edwards, G.B. & Barrion, A.T. (2006): Living with the enemy: jumping spiders that mimic weaver ants. The Journal of Arachnology 33: 813–819. PDF (M. assimilis)

External links

• More info on 'Myrmarachne'.
• Photographs of Myrmarachne species
• Ant-mimic Jumping Spiders - Myrmarachne sp. (photographs and description)
• Photographs of M. assimilis
• Photographs of M. bakeri
• Photographs of M. plataleoides
• Photograph of M. formicaria