Locket’s Forked-tibia Money Spider
Spiders of the genus Erigone comprise tiny and darkish linyphiids characterised by the presence of a vertical row of at least five teeth on the lateral edges of the chelicerae. along with several small teeth facing the fang on each chelicera.
E. bifurca is distinguished from other Erigone by the fine structural details of the male and female genitalia. The name "bifurca" refers to the minutely forked dorsal outgrowth of the tibia of the male palp but it is not the only Erigone with such a feature. The species has a light reddish-brown carapace and a uniform, dark grey abdomen. There are small denticles along the lateral margins of the carapace. As in many other Erigone species, the head of the male is raised.
| Length | ♀ 1–2 mm; ♂ 1 mm |
| Distribution | Singapore, Malaysia (Pahang), Philippines, Indonesia (Lampung), India. |
| Habitat | Forests, grasslands, and reservoirs. |
| Biology | The spiders appear to be dependent upon part of their environment being very wet. |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
Holotype
British Museum of Natural History (BMNH)/Natural History Museum (NHMUK), London, UK; ♂ (1981.10.23.9) (Locket, 1982)
Paratype
British Museum of Natural History (BMNH)/Natural History Museum (NHMUK), London, UK; 1♂ 1♀ (1981.10.23.7-8) (Locket, 1982)
Erigone bifurca (Original description ♂♀)
Locket, 1982 Some linyphiid spiders from western Malaysia: 366, f. 16-21
Erigone bifurca (♂)
Jocqué, 1985b Linyphiidae (Araneae) from the Comoro Islands: 203, f. 15-16
Erigone bifurca (♂♀)
Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 Riceland spiders of South and Southeast Asia: 482, f. 296a-h, 297a-b
* Retrieved from the World Spider Catalog.
Singapore, Malaysia (Pahang), Philippines, Indonesia (Lampung), India.