Gemstone Spider
Spiders of the genus Mesida are related to Leucauge and Tylorida. all sharing the presence of silvery spots on their bodies. However, Mesida spiders differ from them in the microscopic details of their genitalia, and by having two parallel rows of feather-like trichobothria on the outer sides of femora IV in both sexes. Characteristically, each male chelicera has a short anterior spur.
The colour of M. gemmea may vary, with the silvery spots set against a vivid orange or slightly iridescent bluish green background on the abdomen. Such colouration might have inspired the name "gemmea", which can be translated as "adorned with what look like jewels".
| Length | ♀ 5–6 mm; ♂ 4 mm. |
| Habitat | Among vegetation indisturbed wooded areas and in primary and secondary forests. |
| Type Locality | Supajang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| Distribution | Singapore, Indonesia (Java, West Sumatra), Myanmar, China. |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
Meta gemmea (Original description ♀)
van Hasselt, 1882 Araneae: 26, pl. 2, f. 4 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.119451
Argyroepeira gemmea
Argyroepeira gemmea (Original description ♂)
Thorell, 1895b Descriptive catalogue of the spiders of Burma, based upon the collection made by Eugene W. Oates and preserved in the British Museum: 152 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.17492
Argyroepeira gemmea (♀)
Workman, 1896 Malaysian spiders: 56, pl. 56 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.101972
Leucauge gemmea
Mesida gemmea (T♂♀ from Leucauge)
Chrysanthus, 1975 Further notes on the spiders of New Guinea II (Araneae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae): 27, f. 103
Mesida gemmea (♂♀)
Tso & Tanikawa, 2000 New records of five orb-web spiders of the genera Leucauge, Mesida, and Eriovixia (Araneae: Tetragnathidae and Araneidae) from Taiwan: 129, f. 10-16 doi:10.2476/asjaa.49.125
Mesida gemmea (♂♀)
Zhu, Song & Zhang, 2003 Fauna Sinica: Invertebrata Vol. 35: Arachnida: Araneae: Tetragnathidae: 263, f. 144A-I, 145A-F
Singapore, Indonesia (Java, West Sumatra), Myanmar, China.