Trite auricoma

Trite auricoma

Not Threatened (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Salticinae
Genus: Trite
Species:
T. auricoma
Binomial name
Trite auricoma
(Urquhart, 1886)
Synonyms
Synonymy
  • Attus auricomus Urquhart, 1886
  • Plexippus capillatus Urquhart, 1890
  • Attus suffuscus Urquhart, 1893
  • Attus kirkii Urquhart, 1893
  • Attus adustus Urquhart, 1893
  • Trite vafra Dalmas, 1917

Trite auricoma, commonly known as the golden-brown jumping spider, is a species of jumping spider endemic to New Zealand. It was first described in 1886 by Arthur Urquhart and has undergone numerous revisions. They can reach up to 8.8mm in length and the males have a yellow clypeal band that resembles a mustache. They are common and widely distributed throughout New Zealand, where they often live in Phormium and Cordyline vegetation. They are carnivores that actively hunt their prey and can be selective about what they chose to eat. T. auricoma is also a host of Priocnemis nitidiventris, which paralyses and feeds the spider to its larvae.

Taxonomy

Trite auricoma was first described by Arthur Urquhart in 1886 as Attus auricomus (Urquhart, 1886).[1] Urquhart proceeded to unknowingly describe T. auricoma several more times as Plexippus capillatus, Attus suffuscus, Attus kirkii and Attus adustus in 1890 and 1893, respectively.[2][3] In 1917, Raymond Comte de Dalmas described it as a separate species, Trite vafra, from samples he collected with Eugène Simon after visiting New Zealand from 1912 to 1913.[4] In 1935, after examining type specimens from Canterbury Museum, Elizabeth Bryant placed A. auricomus in the Trite genus and renamed the species as T. auricoma.[5] Bryant also recognized P. capillatus, A. suffuscus, A. kirkii, A. adustus and T. vafra as synonyms of T. auricoma. The species was redescribed again in 1988 by Marek Michał Żabka.[6] T. auricoma are sometimes commonly referred to as the "golden-brown jumping spider".[7]

Description

Male Trite auricoma with "mustache" that identifies it as a male.
Trite auricoma with clypeal band "mustache" that identifies it as an adult male.

Adults are 8.4mm to 8.8mm in length.[5] In the male, the cephalothorax (the fused head and thorax of the spider) is coloured brown, with the area around the eyes black and with a light brown area on top. It is also covered in whitish setae (hair-like structures).[6] When mature, males have a yellow clypeal band that resembles a mustache, a feature which is not present in females.[8] The cephalothorax also has a broad rectangular shape. For the first pair of legs, the patella and tarsi are coloured light brown. The other segments of leg 1 are dark brown. The other legs are somewhat smaller. These legs are yellow orange at the base of each segment and dark orange at the end. All of the legs are covered in setae. The abdomen is greyish brown down its upper surface. The palpal bulb (male reproductive structure) has a short embolus, long and narrow tibial apophysis that angles towards the hollow section of the cymbium. The female epigynum (female reproductive structure) has rather short copulatory canals which feed into spermatheca that are dual chambered and shaped like kidneys. The epigastric furrow has depression on its side.[6]

Distribution and habitat

Trite auricoma are widely distributed throughout New Zealand, including offshore islands such as the Poor Knights Islands and Three Kings Islands.[9][10] They can often be found in rolled up leaves of flax (Phormium) or underneath dropped cabbage tree (Cordyline) leaves. T. auricoma can also be found underneath stones, in vegetation and also on the ground.[8]

Diet

Like all spiders, Trite auricoma are an obligate carnivore.[11] In experimental conditions, juvenile T. auricoma has been observed feeding on aphids and small flies such as Drosophila.[11] In experimental conditions, T. auricoma were more selective about prey choice, and fed on small flies and tachnids.[11] T. auricoma also have to learn what is good to eat.[8] It has been reported that juveniles will only eat slaters once, but then never again.[8]

Behaviour

Hunting

Like most salticidae, Trite auricoma is a visual predator. If there is a fly within 15 cm of the front of the spider, the spider becomes alert. In the first stage, the legs and abdomen are shifted and straightened. The hind legs then become drawn in and the spider begins to slowly move towards the prey. Once the spider is 3–4 cm from its prey, it leaps and pierces the prey with its fangs. If a fly or other prey appears behind the spider, the spider will turn around and begin stalking. If the prey moves during stalking, the spider will turn its cephalothorax so that it is pointed at the prey. The abdomen will then also be moved into line with the cephalothorax and stalking will be resumed. If the prey begins to flee, then the spider will give chase and pounce.[8]

Hunger is thought to initiate hunting behaviour.[12]

Juvenile T. auricoma must learn to perfect the movements required in hunting. Juveniles usually miss their prey the first few times they hunt.[8]

Interactions with conspecifics

The spiderlings of T. auricoma do not react to each other while they are in the egg sac. However, once they have emerged, confrontations between juveniles result in one or both spiders raising their front legs. At this point, both spiders back away.[12]

Parasites

Trite auricoma has been observed being parasitized by several species of Priocnemis, a genus of spider wasp which uses its venom to paralyse the spider and drag it back to the wasp's burrow. Once there, the paralysed spider is slowly eaten by the wasp's larvae. The are also used as hosts by Epipompilus insularis, another species of spider wasp. E. insularis temporarily paralyses the spider before laying eggs directly on it. The spider recovers and is able to move around normally. After the eggs hatch, the larvae begin to feed on the live spider, eventually killing it. The adult wasp typically targets females that are guarding eggs in their nest (which may ensure the larvae have some protection).[13]

Conservation status

In 2020, under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species was listed as "Not Threatened".[14] It was previously listed in the same category in a 2012 report.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Urquhart, A.T (1886). "On the spiders of New Zealand". Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 18: 184–204.
  2. ^ Urquhart, A.T. (1890). "Descriptions of new species of Araneidae". Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 22: 239–266.
  3. ^ Urquhart, A.T. (1893). "Descriptions of new species of Araneidae". Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 25: 165–190.
  4. ^ Dalmas, R. de (1917). "Araignées de Nouvelle-Zélande". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 86: 317–430.
  5. ^ a b Bryant, E.B. (1935). "Notes on some of Urquhart's species of spiders". Records of the Canterbury Museum. 4: 53–70.
  6. ^ a b c Zabka, M. (1988). "Salticidae (Araneae) of Oriental, Australian and Pacific regions, III". Annales Zoologici, Warszawa. 41: 421–479.
  7. ^ Ferro, D N; Lowe, A D; Ordish, R G; Somerfield, K G; Watt, J C (1977). "Standard names for common insects of New Zealand". Entomological Society of New Zealand Bulletin. 4: 21.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Forster, Ray; Forster, Lyn (1999). Spiders Of New Zealand And Their World Wide Kin. Otago, New Zealand: University of Otago Press. pp. 119–124. ISBN 1-877372-13-7.
  9. ^ Court, D J (1982). "Spiders from Tawhiti Rahi, Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 12 (4): 367.
  10. ^ Marples, B J (1956). "Spiders from the Three Kings Islands". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 4 (6): 330.
  11. ^ a b c Forster, Lyn M. (1977-12-01). "Some factors affecting feeding behaviour in young Trite auricoma spiderlings (Araneae: Salticidae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 4 (4): 435–443. doi:10.1080/03014223.1977.9517967. ISSN 0301-4223.
  12. ^ a b Forster, Lyndsay M. (1977-03-01). "A qualitative analysis of hunting behaviour in jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 4 (1): 51–62. doi:10.1080/03014223.1977.9517936. ISSN 0301-4223.
  13. ^ Harris, A. C. (Anthony Clifford) (1987). Pompilidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera). New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Wellington, N.Z.: Science Information Publishing Centre, DSIR. ISBN 0-477-02501-3. OCLC 17796347.
  14. ^ Sirvid, P. J.; Vink, C. J.; Fitzgerald, B. M.; Wakelin, M. D.; Rolfe, J.; Michel, P. (2020-01-01). "Conservation status of New Zealand Araneae (spiders), 2020" (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 34: 1–37.
  15. ^ Sirvid, P. J.; Vink, C. J.; Wakelin, M. D.; Fitzgerald, B. M.; Hitchmough, R. A.; Stringer, I. A.N. (2012). "The conservation status of New Zealand Araneae". New Zealand Entomologist. 35 (2): 85–90. doi:10.1080/00779962.2012.686310. ISSN 0077-9962.
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