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Project Noah Nature School
This male Epocilla spider is about 9mm in length. It is white in color with several dark brown stripes on its body. Forelegs are dark brown while its 3 pairs of hindlegs are yellow in color. The pedipalps has both dark brown and yellow. This species can be mistaken as a male Telamonia dimidiata.
Around the hill in Agop Batu Tulug Archaeological Museum, located beside the highway between Sandakan and Lahad Datu, Sabah.
>>>Map accuracy : 1km diameter. Possibly an Epocilla aurantiaca or Epocilla calcarata
Spotted on Jun 6, 2010
Submitted on May 24, 2013
10 Comments
Which one do you think Bayucca?
I am not sure myself.
This is one of those times that we cannot decide on a certain species in
a certain genus unless we study the specimen under a microscope.
This spotting matches the detailed male paralectotype side view drawing of Epocilla aurantiaca thus this spotting in in the distribution map range in http://www.jumping-spiders.com/ of the species.
Epocilla calcarata is also recorded in Malaysia but the country "Malaysia" consist of 2 parts - west Malaysia (peninsula) and east Malaysia (Borneo island) so it is not specific in which part of Malaysia this species is in range.
Identification based on online photographs is also difficult as some photographs tagged as Epocilla calcarata are not correct.
Small variations on this spotting such as it's "bald" cheek make it much more difficult to be identified because other specimens for comparison have "whiteness" and even "wrinkles" on their "cheeks".
I will mark this spotting as unidentified first until we can get someone to confirm an ID though I doubt they can give a specific species ID based on photographs only.
@Chun: Please, check the other ones Lanzz mentioned in the comment. My ID was based upon your own spotting on flickr, but Lanzz pointed out that it also or even rather be Aurantiaca than Calcarata. I am no more sure...
Chun, can you take a look at 2 of my spotting. I think, they are the spider of the same species (i found them on the same tree)...
* Male - www.projectnoah.org/spottings/119826103 (It look similar with the jumper that you found)
* Female - http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/136...
They are either Epocilla calcarata or Epocilla aurantiaca...
* Epocilla calcarata - http://www.jumping-spiders.com/php/tax_d...
* Epocilla aurantiaca - www.jumping-spiders.com/index_wiki.php?i... (The upperside pattern is similar with the female spider that i found).
Any idea?
Great job, Lanzz !
Thank you for pointing that out, this actually is a male Epocilla calcarata.
Are you sure it is Telamonia dimidiata?
Look at these pictures, and give me your opinion...
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Telamo...
- http://www.siamensis.org/sites/default/f...
- http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayi...
Thank you everyone for your favorites and wonderful comments.
I didn't realize how small this spider was until I saw your last two pictures.
Very interesting and doesn't seem like a jumping spider until you see the eyes.
Wow!
Very nice snaps,,