# Malaysian jumping spider ID



## traxfish (Sep 16, 2009)

These are not my pictures, I found these pictures while answering a question on yahoo answers asking what it was.  The asker said that the spider is from Malaysia.











Any ideas on a species or at least genus?

What I found most intersting about this jumping spider is the front legs.  The enlarged tibia, curved tarsals, and spines suggest that the front legs are modified into raptoral claws, like a mantis.  Anybody seen anything like this or can elaborate?


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## buthus (Sep 16, 2009)

Wow!  wow wow wow  ...look at its eye placement!  Id like to see its staple prey!   ...bet its dangerous ...and it flys! ?  Id bet its prey may even be a spider hunter ...and this thing kills spider hunters!  }  () 
Looks like a male(?) ...ponder if the female has the same crazy elongated legs? edit: i mean ..a bit crazy long to develope for mating  ...ha...but im sure that shats gotta be relevant during mating ...if the fem has em, then gotta be more of a huntin' thing.  (?)
Gotta love warm/wet places!


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## ZergFront (Sep 17, 2009)

Hmmmm, I've seen jumpers mimicing ants, bees, wasps, maybe now they've expanded to mimicing scorpions?


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## buthus (Sep 17, 2009)

ZergFront said:


> Hmmmm, I've seen jumpers mimicing ants, bees, wasps, maybe now they've expanded to mimicking scorpions?


I wouldnt consider whats goin on with this spider mimicry ...the advantage of mimicry is to fool others ...and those massive meat hooks aint foolin' no one!


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## BiologicalJewels (Sep 17, 2009)

buthus said:


> I wouldnt consider whats goin on with this spider mimicry ...the advantage of mimicry is to fool others ...and those massive meat hooks aint foolin' no one!


Mimicry is used as a survival/hunting strategy. A spider that mimics and ant might go undetected by predators, a spider that mimics a wasp may not be bothered by predators because of the potential wasp sting that may incur. The same way if a spider mimics a scorpion such said spider would have the advantage of predator not wanting to mess with it due to the possible stinger.


Now, I am NOT saying that is the case with the spider in the picture.


Oscar R.


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## buthus (Sep 17, 2009)

> Mimicry is used as a survival/hunting strategy. A spider that mimics and ant might go undetected by predators, a spider that mimics a wasp may not be bothered by predators because of the potential wasp sting that may incur.


Like i stated...the advantage of mimicry is to fool others.  :?  
Now.. not to say that having big scorp like appendages wont scare off this and that now and then ...and of course as this species evolved.. that fact must have been a factor. I just would have to guess that factor was a smaller one compared to whatever pushed the need for Arnold arms covered with barbs & ending with huge meat hooks.  If the appendages were mostly about mimicry..sure they could scare stuff away...but lots of creatures/bugs eat things with scary arms ...these massive hooks would just be in the way and become a disadvantage ...i mean..if they werent the real deal.


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## Black Widow88 (Oct 3, 2009)

This is simply amazing.

I'm speechless.


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## mindstorm (Oct 5, 2009)

It is a genus Thianitara. A small sized spider.
http://salticidae.org/salticid/diagnost/thianita/spect-ph.htm
Second last pic is compared to a Thiana Bhamoensis.
The last pic is the habitat which they can be found.
Here's a clip on them(should be title Black Thianitara)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6GnfGDuvSc


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## pandinus (Oct 5, 2009)

the female almost looks like its a pseudoscorpion mimic, or it could just have such large eyes and from legs for the purpose of capturing prey from a distance. interesting in either case





John


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## Black Widow88 (Oct 5, 2009)

pandinus said:


> the female almost looks like its a pseudoscorpion mimic, or it could just have such large eyes and from legs for the purpose of capturing prey from a distance. interesting in either case
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes it does. Maybe it's a bit of both? The legs being used for capturing prey and for somehow attracting a mate?

I must look into to the life cycle of these things. Do you know about the life of these interesting looking spiders mindstorm? Cause if you do I would love to hear about it. I wanna blog about these.

So I'm going to Google to see what I can find but I wanna hear from anyone who knows more about them. 

Simply fascinating!


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## syndicate (Oct 6, 2009)

Wow!!Very cool!


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## Deroplatys (Oct 6, 2009)

Bloody hell its front limbs almost look like the raptorial arms of a mantis!
Imagine if thats the way they evolved, half salticid hald mantis, ah well we can dream


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## Frédérick (Oct 6, 2009)

i really thought these were pseudoscorps until i saw the video haha what an awesome kind of salticidae!!!


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## Black Widow88 (Oct 6, 2009)

Frédérick said:


> i really thought these were pseudoscorps until i saw the video haha what an awesome kind of salticidae!!!


I know right?


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## EXOPET (Oct 6, 2009)

many salticids already have curved tibiae on the forelegs to accommodate holding prey, spination of the tibiae seems like the next logical step, and don't forget that malaysia has some of the oldest rainforest on the planet, so they may have had longer to 'perfect' the design.


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## mindstorm (Oct 6, 2009)

Black Widow88 said:


> I must look into to the life cycle of these things. Do you know about the life of these interesting looking spiders mindstorm? Cause if you do I would love to hear about it. I wanna blog about these.



no, not really. i'm doing a life cycle research on another jumper(thiania) at the moment. The life span of these small spiders from (hatching toold age  death) shouldn't be more than a year...most prob less than that. I kept those in the photos for prob a couple of weeks before letting them go..they eat normal small insects like fruit flies, flying ants or gnats. Very friendly spiders...they don't easily freak out on human hands as u can see how they are comfortably walking on my fingers. Cute little things!


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## Black Widow88 (Oct 6, 2009)

That's good to know though.

So when I finally go to Malaysia I'll keep my eyes open.


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