Rhene timidus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Rhene that lives in South Africa. Only the female has been described, in 2013. The spider is typical of the genus, but larger than Rhene facilis, with a relatively large abdomen measuring 3.5 mm (0.14 in) in length. It has a distinctive epigyne featuring spiralling ridges.
| Rhene timidus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Subfamily: | Salticinae |
| Genus: | Rhene |
| Species: | R. timidus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rhene timidus Wesołowska & Haddad, 2013
| |
Taxonomy
editRhene timidus was first identified by Wanda Wesołowska and Charles Haddad in 2013.[1] It was allocated to the genus Rhene, which is named after the Greek female name, shared by mythological figures.[2] The genus is part of the subtribe Dendryphantina in the tribe Dendryphantini, and is related to the genera Dendryphantes and Macaroeris.[3] The species name means cautious and is in reference to the very delicate sclerotization of the epigyne.[4]
Description
editOnly the female of Rhene timidus has been described. It is a small spider, typical for the genus, but larger than the similar Rhene facilis. The cephalothorax is 2.4 mm (0.094 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.098 in) wide. The carapace is brown, broadened and covered with small white hairs. The abdomen is larger, 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long and 2.8 mm (0.11 in) wide, and lighter in colour. The clypeus is very low and dark.[4] The epigyne is distinctive, with spiralling sclerotized ridges around the copulatory openings.[5] It is similar to the related Rhene ferkensis found in Ivory Coast but differs by having longer seminal ducts and the ridges surround the copulatory openings.[6]
Distribution
editThe spider has been only identified at one location, in the Amathole Mountains, East Cape, South Africa.[1][5]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ a b World Spider Catalog (2017). "Rhene timidus Wesolowska & Haddad, 2013". World Spider Catalog. 18.0. Bern: Natural History Museum. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ Thorell 1869, p. 37.
- ^ Maddison 2015, p. 245.
- ^ a b Wesołowska & Haddad 2013, p. 226.
- ^ a b Wesołowska & Haddad 2013, p. 227.
- ^ Wesołowska & Russell-Smith 2022, p. 100.
Bibliography
edit- Maddison, Wayne P. (2015). "A phylogenetic classification of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae)". The Journal of Arachnology. 43 (3): 231–292. doi:10.1636/arac-43-03-231-292. S2CID 85680279.
- Wesołowska, W.; Haddad, C. R. (2013). "New data on the jumping spiders of South Africa (Araneae: Salticidae)". African Invertebrates. 54 (1): 226–227. doi:10.5733/afin.054.0111. S2CID 59450669. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- Wesołowska, Wanda; Russell-Smith, Anthony (2022). "Jumping spiders from Ivory Coast collected by J.-C. Ledoux (Araneae, Salticidae)". European Journal of Taxonomy. 841: 1–143. doi:10.5852/ejt.2022.841.1943.
- Thorell, Tamerlan (1869). On European Spiders, Part 1: Review of the European Genera of Spiders, Preceded by Some Observations on Zoological Nomenclature.