Salticidae Phintella

"Phintella" sp. "Excavated Jaw"

Excavated Jaw Golden Jumper

The species on this page and on the next page are placed in the genus Phintella on a provisional basis because while their male palps show a general resemblance to those of typical members of the genus, the carapace of these males share some of the characters shown in the newly defined genus Phintelloides. These include (a) a stripe of white hairs ("moustache", white arrow) on the clypeus, (b) a band of white setae behind the anterior eyes. (c) a kite-shaped tuft of white setae behind the PLE, (d) a pair of white belts around the lower margin of the carapace.

However, the abdomen does not have a longitudinal dark band seen in all described Phintelloides males. Instead, it is adorned with golden setae, with a black spot at the posterior tip, plus two pairs white spots each with a partial black rim in the mid-section.

This species appears almost identical with Phintella sp. C morphologically, but differs by having a different palpal structure, and by an excavation on each of the chelicerae at the base of the fang.