''Rhene timidus'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of jumping spider in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Rhene ''Rhene'' is a spider genus of the family Salticidae (jumping spiders). Taxonomy The genus was originally named ''Rhanis'' by C. L. Koch in 1846. However, this name had already been used for a beetle genus in 1834. Accordingly, Tamerlan Thorel ...

'' that lives in South Africa. Only the female has been described, in 2013. The spider is typical of the genus, but larger than '' Rhene facilis'', with a relatively large

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

measuring in length. It has a distinctive

epigyne The epigyne or epigynum is the external genital structure of female spiders. As the epigyne varies greatly in form in different species, even in closely related ones, it often provides the most distinctive characteristic for recognizing species. ...

featuring spiralling ridges.

Taxonomy

''Rhene timidus'' was first identified by Wanda Wesołowska and Charles Haddad in 2013. It was allocated to the

'', which is named after the Greek female name, shared by mythological figures. The genus is part of the subtribe Dendryphantina in the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

Dendryphantini, and is related to the genera ''

Dendryphantes ''Dendryphantes'' is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837. Species it contains sixty-nine species, found in Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, North America, and on Saint Helena: *'' D ...

'' and ''

Macaroeris ''Macaroeris'' is a spider genus (biology), genus of the jumping spider family, Salticidae. Name The genus name is combined from Macaronesia, where most species of the genus occur, and the salticid spider genus ''Eris (spider), Eris''. Species ...

''. The

name means cautious and is in reference to the very delicate sclerotization of the

Description

Only the female of ''Rhene timidus'' has been described. It is a small spider, typical for the genus, but larger than the similar '' Rhene facilis''. 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 long and wide. The

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 ...

is brown, broadened and covered with small white hairs. The

is larger, long and wide, and lighter in colour. The clypeus is very low and dark. The epigyne is distinctive, with spiralling sclerotized ridges around the copulatory openings. It is similar to the related '' Rhene ferkensis'' found in Ivory Coast but differs by having longer seminal ducts and the ridges surround the copulatory openings.

Distribution

The spider has been only identified at one location, in the Amathole Mountains, East Cape, South Africa.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q27505021 Endemic fauna of South Africa Salticidae Spiders of South Africa Spiders described in 2013 Taxa named by Wanda Wesołowska