Malacca Strait Armoured Spider
Tetrablemmids of the genus Ablemma may have six, four, two eyes or, in the case of species living in caves, no eyes at all. Their male palps have a characteristically heavy L-shaped or T-shaped embolus not found in other tetrablemmids.
A. malacca is distinguished from other Ablemma species by having 6 eyes in both sexes. The eyes are unequal in size. In the males, the eyes form a compact group, mounted on a protrusion at the front of the carapace. In both sexes, the cephalothorax is raised with a flat top anteriorly of the cephalothorax. The male palp has an elongated bulb and a three-pointed embolic tip.
The species name refers to the Strait of Malacca between Singapore and Sumatra although to date it has been found only in Singapore.
| Length | ♀ 1–2 mm; ♂ 1–2 mm. |
| Habitat | Rainforest leaf litter. |
| Type Locality | Singapore. |
| Distribution | Singapore. |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
Ablemma malacca (Original description ♂♀)
Lin et al., 2017 Taxonomic notes on the armored spiders of the families Pacullidae and Tetrablemmidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from Singapore: 26, f. 7A-H, 8A-C, 9A-D doi:10.3897/zookeys.661.10677
Singapore.