Salticidae Gedea

Gedea tibialis Zabka, 1985

Guan Kong Bark Jumper

The genus Gedea includes arboreal jumpers with a thickset cephalothorax and stout abdomen. The palps are densely clothed with long white hairs. These hairs are particularly conspicuous on the female palps. They can also be seen on the inner sides of the tibiae and trochanters on the male palps. The clypeus of the male is covered by yellow hairs. The retrolateral (outer) margin of its chelicerae has a characteristic fringe of long hairs. calling to mind the long, flowing beard of Guan Kong, a character in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms personifying the values of loyalty and righteousness and worshipped by some Southeast Asian Chinese.

G. tibialis appears similar to others in the same genus. However, it may be distinguished by comparing their genitalia and tooth arrangement on the chelicerae.

Upper right picture: The right palp was missing when the spider moulted, thus revealing the long cheliceral hair.