While out searching for subjects, I frequently encounter specimens of
Metacyrba taeniola taeniola hunting for things as well. Unlike the other jumpers I've documented (
Dendryphantinae and
Thiodininae),
M. t. taeniola belongs to the subfamily
Marpissinae. It's a subspecies of
Metacryba taeniola, differentiated from
M. t. similis by range (east vs. west), size (larger), and color (femur IV as dark as other femora). They're busy little spiders, and I enjoy watching them. Like
Hentzia palmarum, their two front legs are long and muscular. The spinnerets are visible. They have an iridescent greenish-orange band under their big black eyes. I believe the chelicerae may be the same iridescent color. As in
Phidippus audax, the male's palps are more swollen than the female's, like boxing gloves.
Male:
 |
| "Peek-a-boo!" I pressed gently on the siding, hoping to draw him out, and he obliged! |
Female:
References:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/412864
http://tolweb.org/Metacyrba_taeniola/4698
http://www.jumping-spiders.com/php/tax_drawings.php?id=2709 (drawings & photos)
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1071&context=insectamundi (review of genus)
http://www.peckhamia.com/nhs/nhs_videos.php (video)
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