Oxyopidae Oxyopes

Oxyopes auratus Thorell, 1890

Golden Lynx Spider

Thorell described this species from a male specimen collected by Italian explorer, zoologist and anthropologist Elio Modigliani (1860–1932) during an expedition to North Sumatra in Indonesia. Thorell drew attention to the golden setae on the carapace and named it "auratus" (meaning "golden" in Latin). Such golden setae are particularly dense around the eye area, and can also be seen on the legs. Like most other Oxyopes, the male has paired black lines on the face and femora. but its abdomen is covered with setae with a metallic sheen, without the lance-like pattern seen in most other common Oxyopes males.

The female of this species has never been described. However, females with a body pattern and colouration resembling most other Oxyopes females are frequently collected in the vicinity of the males. If they are indeed a matched pair, then this species may be regarded as an exceptional Oxyopes as other known species of this genus in Singapore do not show such distinct differences in general appearances between sexes.