Publication Date:
2024-01-12
Description:
Depreissia is a little known genus comprising two hymenopteran-mimicking species, one found in Central
\nAfrica and one in the north of Borneo. The male of D. decipiens is redescribed, the female is described for
\nthe first time. The carapace is elongated, dorsally flattened and rhombus-shaped, the rear of the thorax
\nlaterally depressed and transformed, with a pair of deep pits; the pedicel is almost as long as the abdomen.
\nThe male palp is unusual, characterized by the transverse deeply split membranous tegulum separating a
\nventral part which bears a sclerotized tegular apophysis and a large dagger-like retrodirected median apophysis. The female epigyne consists of one pair of large adjacent spermathecae and very long copulatory
\nducts arising posteriorly and rising laterally alongside the spermathecae continuing in several vertical and
\nhorizontal coils over the anterior surface. Relationships within the Salticidae are discussed and an affinity
\nwith the Cocalodinae is suggested. Arguments are provided for a hypothesis that D. decipiens is not antmimicking as was previously believed, but is a mimic of polistinine wasps. The species was found in the
\ncanopy in the Kinabalu area only, in primary and old secondary rainforest at 200\xe2\x80\x93700 m.a.s.l. Overlap of
\ncanopy-dwelling spider species with those in the understorey are discussed and examples of species richness and endemism in the canopy are highlighted. Canopy fogging is a very efficient method of collecting
\nfor most arthropods. The canopy fauna adds an extra dimension to the known biodiversity of the tropical
\nrainforest. In southeast Asia, canopy research has been neglected, inhibiting evaluation of comparative
\nresults of this canopy project with that from other regions. More use of fogging as a collecting method
\nwould greatly improve insight into the actual species richness and species distribution in general.
Keywords:
Jumping spiders
;
canopy spiders
;
taxonomy
;
biodiversity
;
ant-mimicking spiders
;
wasp-mimicking
;
Mt. Kinabalu
;
rainforest
;
Cocalodinae
;
Polistine wasps
;
endemism
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
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