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Plexippinae

Wayne Maddison
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Composition of the Plexippinae according to Maddison (1995)
Containing group: Salticidae

Introduction

The plexippines are among those salticids with the embolus immovably fixed to the tegulum. They occur primarily in the Old World, and include some of the more familiar genera (Plexippus, Evarcha, Hyllus, Thyene). The genus Bianor probably does not belong technically within the group, since the type species is apparently not a plexippine. However, some of the more familiar species (e.g. B. aenescens and aemulus) are plexippines and may very well deserve a transfer to Harmochirus.

Characteristics

Characters delimiting the Plexippinae are (Maddison, 1996):
  1. Male endite serrula with the most lateral few teeth curled and projecting:
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    Ventral view of lateral edge of endite serrula of male Evarcha.

  2. Males with a bump on the tegulum near the base of the embolus. The bump is just counterclockwise to the embolus and points clockwise on a left palp. Heliophanines also have bump on the tegulum but it is in a different place.
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    Left palpus of Bianor aemulus

  3. Tufts of setae occur near eyes, reminiscent of those of Phidippus. Those of plexippines occur below the small eyes and between the PME and ALE, while those of Phidippus occur below the PME and between the PME and PLE. This tuft character may help support the grouping of plexippines, but it does so only weakly, for a number of species in the group lack distinct tufts, including Bianor aemulus and some species of Evarcha.

References

Maddison, W.P. 1996. Pelegrina Franganillo and other jumping spiders formerly placed in the genus Metaphidippus (Araneae: Salticidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. l54(4): 215-368.

Title Illustrations
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Copyright © 1994-1995 Wayne Maddison
About This Page

Wayne Maddison
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Wayne Maddison at

All Rights Reserved.

Citing this page:

Maddison, Wayne. 1995. Plexippinae. Version 01 January 1995 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Plexippinae/2847/1995.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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