Cosmophasis

Cosmophasis
Cosmophasis baehrae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Salticinae
Tribe: Chrysillini
Genus: Cosmophasis
Simon, 1901
Type species
Plexippus thalassinus[1]
Species

See text.

Cosmophasis is a genus of spiders in the family Salticidae (jumping spiders). They are predominantly Southeast Asian,[2] while some species occur in Africa and Australia. Although most species more or less mimic ants, there are also colorful species[3] that follow a different strategy.

C. bitaeniata uses chemical mimicry to be accepted by the aggressive weaver ant species Oecophylla smaragdina.[4]

One species, said to be not a particularly good ant mimic, was observed living near and preying on ants. According to (Murphy & Murphy, 2000), "to watch the spider stalking and killing its prey is an arachnological spectacular".[5]

  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.
  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.