''Phintella africana'' is a species of jumping spider in the genus ''

Phintella ''Phintella'' is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by W. Bösenberg & Embrik Strand in 1906. Species it contains fifty-nine species and one subspecies, found in Oceania, Asia, Europe, and Africa: *'' P. abnormis'' (Bösenberg ...

'' that lives in Ethiopia. The female of the species was first described in 2008 by Wanda Wesołowska and Beata Tomasiewicz. The spider, which is named after the continent where it was found, is small and brown, with a mottled brown and yellow abdomen long. It lives in grasslands.

Taxonomy

''Phintella africana'' is a jumping spider that was first identified in 2008 by Wanda Wesołowska and Beata Tomasiewicz. The spider was named after Africa, the continent in which it was first found. It is one of over 500 species identified by Wesołowska during her career. It was allocated to the genus ''

'', first raised in 1906 by Embrik Strand and W. Bösenberg. The genus name derives from the genus ''Phintia'', which it resembles. The genus ''Phintia'' was itself renamed ''Phintodes'', which was subsequently absorbed into ''

Tylogonus ''Tylogonus'' is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1902. It is considered a senior synonym of ''Phintodes''. Species it contains eleven species, found in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panam ...

''. There are similarities between spiders within genus ''Phintella'' and those in '' Chira'', ''

Chrysilla ''Chrysilla'' is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1887. Several species formerly placed here were transferred to ''Phintella'', and vice versa. Females are long, and males are long. The genus is Persian, ...

'', ''

Euophrys ''Euophrys'' is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1834. The small black ''E. omnisuperstes'' lives on Mount Everest at elevations up to 6,700 meters, possibly making it the most elevated animal in the world ...

'', '' Icius'', '' Jotus'' and ''

Telamonia ''Telamonia'' is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1887. They are colorful spiders, with patterns that vary considerably between sexes and species. Two longitudinal stripes along the abdomen are common, and ...

''. Genetic analysis confirms that it is related to the genera '' Helvetia'' and ''

Menemerus ''Menemerus'' is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1868. They are long, flattened in shape, and very hairy, usually with brown and grayish hairs. Most species have white edges on the thorax. The abdome ...

'' and is classified in the tribe

Chrysillini Chrysillini is a tribe of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. In Maddison's 2015 revision of the family, the subfamily Heliophaninae was reclassified as a junior synonym of Chrysillini. Genera * '' Afraflacilla'' * '' Augustaea'' * '' ...

Description

The spider was described based on a specimen found by Anthony Russell-Smith between 1982 and 1988. Only the female has so far been described. The species differs from other members of the genus by the fact that the copulatory openings are at the rear edge of the epigyne. Otherwise, it is typical of the genus. The spider has a brown

carapace A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...

with black rings around its eyes. The clypeus is similarly brown. The abdomen is oval and mottled yellow and brown, and is long. The

cephalothorax The cephalothorax, also called prosoma in some groups, is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. (The terms ''prosoma'' and ''opisthosoma'' are equivalent to ''cepha ...

is smaller, measuring in length. The epigyne is rounded and has a single pocket.

Distribution

The spider has been found in the Sidamo Province of Ethiopia, in grasslands.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3445273 Endemic fauna of Ethiopia Salticidae Spiders described in 2008 Spiders of Africa Taxa named by Wanda Wesołowska