Cosmophasis

Cosmophasis
Cosmophasis obscura
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Heliophaninae
Genus: Cosmophasis
Simon, 1901
Type species
Plexippus thalassinus
C. L. Koch
Species

see text

Diversity
45 species

Cosmophasis is a genus of the spider family Salticidae (jumping spiders). Some species occur in Africa, while most are found in Southeast Asia, down to Australia. Although most species more or less mimic ants, there are also colorful species[1] that follow a different strategy.

C. bitaeniata uses chemical mimicry to be accepted by the aggressive weaver ant species Oecophylla smaragdina.[2]

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".[3]

Species

Cosmophasis sp. from the Philippines.

Footnotes

  1. Jerzy Proszynski: Cosmophasis
  2. Nelson et al. 2006
  3. Murphy & Murphy 2000: 304

References

Further reading

External links

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