Cosmophasis is a genus of spiders in the family Salticidae (jumping spiders). They are predominantly Southeast Asian,[2] while some species occur in Africa and Australia. Although most species more or less mimic ants, there are also colorful species[3] that follow a different strategy.

Cosmophasis
Cosmophasis baehrae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Salticinae
Tribe: Chrysillini
Genus: Cosmophasis
Simon, 1901
Type species
Plexippus thalassinus[1]
Species

See text.

C. bitaeniata uses chemical mimicry to be accepted by the aggressive weaver ant species Oecophylla smaragdina.[4]

One species, said to be not a particularly good ant mimic, was observed living near and preying on ants. According to (Murphy & Murphy, 2000), "to watch the spider stalking and killing its prey is an arachnological spectacular".[5]

Description

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Species in this genus are from 3.80 to 8.00 mm long. The cephalothoraxes are pear-shaped(for some males) or rectangular. [6]

Taxonomy

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Cosmophasis sp. from the Philippines.

As of November 2021, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:[7]

In 2012, Marek Żabka and Julianne Waldock proposed 5 new species groups, it being the C.thalassina species group, C. bitaeniata species group, C. micarioides species group, C. tristriatus species group, and the C. rakata species group.[6] Formerly placed in this genus include:[7]

References

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  1. ^ Simon, Eugène (1892). Histoire naturelle des araignées. Smithsonian Libraries. Paris : Roret. pp. 553–554. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.51973. LCCN agr08000137. OCLC 1046005797.
  2. ^ Donovan, B.; Hill, D. E. (30 April 2017). "Report of Cosmophasis feeding on butterfly eggs in Queensland (Araneae: Salticidae: Chrysillini)". Peckhamia. 149 (1). eISSN 1944-8120. ISSN 2161-8526.
  3. ^ Jerzy Proszynski: Cosmophasis
  4. ^ Nelson, Ximena .J; Jackson, Robert R.; Edwards, G.B.; Barrion, Alberto T. (2006). "Living with the enemy: jumping spiders that mimic weaver ants" (PDF). The Journal of Arachnology. 33 (3): 813–819. doi:10.1636/S04-12.1. S2CID 52000089.
  5. ^ Murphy, John; Murphy, Frances (1 January 2000). An Introduction to the Spiders of South East Asia. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Nature Society. ISBN 978-9839681178.
  6. ^ a b Żabka, Marek; Waldock, Julianne (2012). "Salticidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from oriental, Australian and Pacific Regions. Genus Cosmophasis Simon, 1901" (PDF). Annales Zoologici. 62 (1): 115–198. doi:10.3161/000345412X633694. eISSN 1734-1833. ISSN 0003-4541. S2CID 84374906.
  7. ^ a b "Gen. Cosmophasis Simon, 1901". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2021-11-20.

Further reading

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  • Allan, R.A. & Elgar, M.A. (2001): Exploitation of the green tree ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, by the salticid spider Cosmophasis bitaeniata. Australian Journal of Zoology 49: 129–137.
  • Allan, R.A., Capon, R.J., Brown, W.V. & Elgar, M.A. (2002): Mimicry of host cuticular hydrocarbons by salticid spider Cosmophasis bitaeniata that preys on larvae of tree ants Oecophylla smaragdina. Journal of Chemical Ecology 28: 835–848. doi:10.1023/A:1015249012493
  • Elgar, M.A. & Allan, R.A. (2006): Chemical mimicry of the ant Oecophylla smaragdina by the myrmecophilous spider Cosmophasis bitaeniata: Is it colony-specific? Journal of Ethology 24(3): 239-246. doi:10.1007/s10164-005-0188-9
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