Cosmophasis

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

See text.

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

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

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

Description

Species in this genus are from 3.80 to 8.00 mm long. Their cephalothoraces are pear-shaped (for some males) or rectangular.

Taxonomy

Cosmophasis sp. from the Philippines

As of November 2021, the World Spider Catalog accepted these species:

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. Formerly placed in this genus include:

References

  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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  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. 1 2 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. 1 2 "Gen. Cosmophasis Simon, 1901". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2021-11-20.

Further reading