[Title Page] [List of Genera] Comparison of Drawings] [Regional Keys to Genera] [Descriptions of New Taxa] [Geographical Distribution] [Color Photographs] See also Catalogue of Salticidae [ Title page] List of Genera - names beginning with: A BC DEFG HIJKL MN OPQ RS TUVWXYZ References: Authors beginning with: A BC DEFG HIJKL MN OPQ RS TUVWXYZ [See also Catalogue of Salticidae: Bathippus]

Salticidae: Diagnostic Drawings Library

by Jerzy Proszynski 1997

Bathippus Thorell, 1892

 

Diagnoses of genera of South East Asia: 51.2 Square headed salticids with long thin, colourful abdomens. Found on shrubs and plants. General remarks: Some of the commoner salticids likely to be seen on foliage in rain forest or garden. They are often brightly coloured and immediately attract attention. Their large, dark, anterior median eyes are noticed immediately. The long thin bodies, long legs and long chelicerae of males are characteristic. Genera for which little information is available or are possibly rare are placed here tentatively and preceded by a "?".
Genus: Bathippus (6-9; 6-10), PI. 30.1. Bathippus species are colourful, long legged, long, thin-bodied salticids often to be found wandering about on shrubs in or near rain forest. The cephalothorax looks something like a rectangular rubber brick of square cross section which has been pushed forwards. The cephalus is squarish, slightly wider at the front and flattish. The thorax is rectangular, longer than wide and fairly steep, whilst the sides are rhomboidal and vertical. The abdomen is long, narrow, tubular, widest at the front and tapering slightly towards the rear. The legs are long, slender and spiny, with numerous long spines on the tibiae and metatarsi of the front two pairs of legs. Colours can vary. Typically the carapace is orange, sometimes with lighter stripes radiating from the fovea. The abdomen is grey, and sometines there are three or four pairs of dark grey square marks. The legs are orange with front two pairs dark brown-orange. Characteristic of this genus are the robust, diverging, forward projecting chelicerae, particularly those on the males. There are usually one or two strong teeth on each chelicera and a long curving fang nearby, lending the spider a fearsome aspect.
Distribution: The range of Bathippus extends from Myanmar to Papua New Guinea and Australia. Murphy & Murphy 2000: 295. By courtesy of the Authors' and the Malaysian Nature Society.

NB. Proszynski suggested merging of Canama with Bathippus because of similarities in genital organs whilst differences between both genera seemed to be limited to bifurcation of one of cheliceral teeth (cf. Proszynski 1987: 9, also unpublished materials). Research by Zabka leads to different conclusions, so we leave provisionally the contents of these genera as listed below, with understanding that delimitation of species in both genera await further studies. J. Proszynski

Copyright © for the page by J. Proszynski, 1999.