COLOR PHOTOGRAPS by
Senglet by A. P. Noordam [
from Nieuwenhuys] [ by Knoflach][
by Holstein].
DRAWINGS: [P. chrysops TYPE SPECIES] P. chrysops - More Drawings ][daoxianensis][ maoniuensis] [ mathisi] [ senilis]
Diagnoses of genera of South East Asia: Philaeus
(6-8; 7-9). Two species of Philaeus, P. chrysops and P. maoniuensis,
are known from S. China. The striking colour of the male of the well known
and widespread P. chrysops makes it one of the easier salticids to
recognise in the field. Overall, the cephalothorax is dark brown, the eye
region black with two short, broad white flashes behind the rear eyes. Dorsally
and laterally, the abdomen is bright orange-red with black shoulders and a
longitudinal, broad, median, black stripe that starts from anterior edge but
does not quite reach the posterior edge. The long, slender legs are dark brown
to black with the patellae and most of the tibiae of legs I & II bright
orange-red, much the same colour as in the abdomen. The female is not nearly
so colourful. The cephalothorax is coloured much as the male save that the
white flashes behind the rear eyes are much reduced and quite small. The dorsal
side of the abdomen is largely covered with a very broad, brown band with
two, longitudinal, narrowish white stripes and a few white, oblique marks
near the sides. The remainder of the abdomen and the sides are orange, giving
an overall mottled effect. The legs are light brown with dark brown annulations.
Both male and female are quite hairy. For both sexes, the cephalothorax of
both sexes is moderately raised, with the sides and thorax sloping fairly
steeply from the flattish top. In plan, it is broadly oval with the front
and rear somewhat truncated. The abdomen is stout and oval with the front
more rounded and the rear slightly tapered. There are ventral spines on the
tibiae and metatarsi, but these are largely masked by the general hairiness
of the legs.
Distribution: Philaeus has a wide distribution with most species
coming from the Mediterranean Region and W. Africa. In general P. chrysops
has a palaearctic plus S. China distribution, whilst P. maoniuensi
is known only from S. China. Single species are also recorded from Mexico,
Guatemala and the Galapagos Islands. Murphy & Murphy 2000: 279. By
courtesy of the Authors' and the Malaysian Nature Society.
Copyright © for the page by J. Proszynski, 1999.