Myrmarachne plataleoides (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 )

Benjamin, Suresh P., 2015, Model mimics: antlike jumping spiders of the genus Myrmarachne from Sri Lanka, Journal of Natural History 49 (43), pp. 2609-2666 : 2646-2650

Myrmarachne plataleoides (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869)

( Figures 29A–D , 30A–D , 31A–E )

Salticus plataleoides O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869: 68 , plate 6, figures 61–65a.

See Platnick (2013) for a detailed taxonomic history.

Type material

The type specimen was not found, presumed lost. Pickard-Cambridge (1869) says that the single specimen that he described was found in the collections of OUMNH. Type locality was unknown at the time of description.

Material examined

Sri Lanka, Central Province, 1 male, Kandy District, Udawattakelle sanctuary, 510–580 m, 8–10 September 1977, K.V. Krombein, P.B. Karunaratne, T. Wijesinhe, M. Jayaweere, USNM . Sabaragamuwa Province, 1 male, Kegalle District, Kelani Ganga, 152 m, Kitulgala , 12 March 1973, Bauman and Cross, USNM . Western Province, 1 male 1 female, Colombo District, Godagama , 25 October 1973, M. Robinson, USNM . 1 male, Ratmalana , 6 June 1976, KV. Krombein, USNM . 1 female, Nawala, Nandimitra place , 13 March 1998, M.M. Bahir and S.V. Nanayakara. 1 female, same locality, 1 March 1998, MHNG . 2 males, Kalutara District, Ingiriya, Bodinagala Forest Reserve , 10 February 2007, Hand collecting, SP. Benjamin and Z. Jaleel . North Central Province, 1 female, Anuradapura District, Padaviya , 18 May 1976, M. Trap and K.V. Krombein, USNM . 1 male, same locality, 19 May 1976, K.V. Krombein (?), USNM . Eastern Province, 1 male, Ampara District, Lahugala , 15 June 1976. Coll. K.V. Krombein, USNM . Southern province, 6 juveniles, Galle, Navina , 18 November 1997, Coll. M.M. Bahir, MHNG . 1 male, same locality, 7 March 1998, MHNG . 2 males 1 female, Galle, Neluwa , 4 February 1998, Coll. M.M. Bahir and Sanath, MHNG . Uva Province, 1 male, Monaragala District, Inginiagala , 3 June 1995, D. H. Messersmith, G.L. Williams and P.B. Karunaratne. USNM . North Western Province, 1 male, Kurunagala, Athugala ( Ethagala ?), 24 January 1975, K.V. Krombein. 2 males, 2 females, Ethagala Mountains , c. 300 m, 1–28 February 2007, hand collecting, Z. Jaleel. Ethagala, Mountains, c. 300 m, 1–30 March 2008, Z. Jaleel, 3 males. 1 male, same locality, 24 September 2009, S.P. Benjamin and S. Batuwita. 2 males, 2 females, Nikaravatiya , 1–3 February 2007, hand collecting, Z. Jaleel. 1 male, same locality, hand collecting, 15 July 2009, S.P. Benjamin . Central Province, 1 male, Matale District, IFS Arboretum , c. 180 m, 07° 51 ʹ 34 ″ N, 80°40 ʹ 28 ″ E, 23 April 2010, hand collecting, S.P. Benjamin and S. Batuwita .

Diagnosis

Separated from all other Sri Lankan species of the genus, except for M. spissa by the cylindrical tegulum of the male palp, with the embolus positioned on the distal end of the tegulum and the kidney-shaped S connected by a CD to CO. Separated from M. spissa by size and brown to dark brown colour.

Description

Male: total length: 7.2–30.0; prosoma length: 4.4–7.2, width: 1.2–1.6. Leg I: femur 2.0–3.2, patella 0.7–1.0, tibia 2.8–3.6, metatarsus 1.2–1.8, tarsus 0.6– 0.8. Palp as in Figures 30A, B , 31A–E . Female: total length: 8.0; prosoma length: 3.2, width: 1.2. Leg 1: femur 2.0, patella 0.4, tibia 1.8, metatarsus 1.0 tarsus 0.4. Epigynum and vulva as in Figure 30C, D ). See Edmunds and Prószyński (2003) for a detailed description of this species.

Variation

This species is known to be highly polymorphic with colours varying from light brown to dark black (personal observations; Borges et al. 2007).

Natural history

Feeds on the ant Oecophylla smaragdina , which it mimics ( Narayan 1915; Tikader 1973). The range of this species overlaps the range of its ant model ( Pollard 1994; Borges et al. 2007).

Distribution

India, Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia ( Platnick 2013).

Figures

Figure 29. Myrmarachne plataleoides in life. (A,C) male; (B,D) female.

Figure 30. Myrmarachne plataleoides. (A,B) male palp. (A) ventral view; (B) retrolateral view; (C) vulva, ventral view; (D) vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm (C,D); 0.2 mm (A,B).

Figure 31. Scanning electron micrographs of Myrmarachne plataleoides. (A–E) male palp. (A,E) ventral view; (B–D) retrolateral view. Scale bars = 20 µm (B); 25 µm (C,E); 30 µm (A,D).