Myrmarachne


Myrmarachne is a genus of ant-mimicking jumping spiders that was first described by W. S. MacLeay in 1839. They are commonly called ant-mimicking spiders, but they are not the only spiders that have this attribute. The name is a combination of Ancient Greek μύρμηξ, meaning "ant", and ἀράχνη, meaning "spider".
This genus has undergone many changes, and is still under review as more information becomes available. In 2016, several genera were split off, including Helicius and the monotypic genus Panachraesta. The genus Emertonius was revalidated in 2018 after being synonymized with Myrmarachne for nearly thirty years.

Description

Myrmarachne have an elongated cephalothorax with relatively long chelicerae that projects forward in males. The chelicerae of males can lack venom glands. The cephalothorax has a waist, and the opisthosoma often has one too. The colors can vary from black to yellow, depending on ant species it is mimicking, and can change over the course of its life. For example, one African species was observed to mimic a certain species of ants as a juvenile, and another ant species as an adult.

They tend to wave their front legs in the air to simulate antennae, and many have bodies that also closely resemble ants. It was assumed they didn't use their front legs for locomotion at all, but high-speed cameras have shown that they move around using all eight legs, raising their forelimbs only when stationary.
The genus Bocus is so similar to Myrmarachne that it cannot be distinguished without the help of a microscope.

Species

With about 80 described and many undescribed southeast Asian species, Myrmarachne is the most diverse genus of jumping spider in this region. A few species, such as the palearctic M. formicaria, occur in temperate regions.
Myrmarachne are found in the tropics from Africa to Australia, with some species found in the New World.
, this genus includes 188 species and three subspecies.
These species have articles on Wikipedia:Myrmarachne bicurvata – Sri LankaMyrmarachne clavigera – Indonesia Myrmarachne elongata Szombathy, 1915 – Africa, Japan, China, VietnamMyrmarachne formicaria – Macaronesia, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to Canada, United StatesMyrmarachne luctuosa – Australia Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839 – Pakistan to Vietnam and Indonesia Myrmarachne melanotarsa Wesołowska & Salm, 2002 – Kenya, China?Myrmarachne morningside Benjamin, 2015 – Sri LankaMyrmarachne prava – Pakistan, India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne ramunni Narayan, 1915 – Pakistan, India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne spissa – India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne striatipes – Australia Myrmarachne uniseriata Narayan, 1915 – India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne acromegalis Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Thailand, Indonesia Myrmarachne acutidens Yamasaki & Edwards, 2013 – IndonesiaMyrmarachne albocincta – United StatesMyrmarachne albosetosa Wanless, 1978 – South AfricaMyrmarachne alticeps – Indonesia Myrmarachne amabilis Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia Myrmarachne angusta – China to Indonesia Myrmarachne annandalei Simon, 1901 – MalaysiaMyrmarachne assimilis Banks, 1930 – Malaysia, PhilippinesMyrmarachne attenuata – PhilippinesMyrmarachne attenuata – SingaporeMyrmarachne augusta – MadagascarMyrmarachne aurea Ceccarelli, 2010 – Australia Myrmarachne bakeri Banks, 1930 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne balinese Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010 – Indonesia Myrmarachne bamakoi Berland & Millot, 1941 – MaliMyrmarachne bicolor – Australia Myrmarachne bicurvata – Sri LankaMyrmarachne bidentata Banks, 1930 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne biseratensis Badcock, 1918 – Malaysia, Indonesia Myrmarachne brevis Xiao, 2002 – ChinaMyrmarachne caliraya Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – India, PhilippinesMyrmarachne capito – Indonesia Myrmarachne chapmani Banks, 1930 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne circulus Xiao & Wang, 2004 – ChinaMyrmarachne clavigera – Indonesia Myrmarachne collarti Roewer, 1965 – DR Congo, UgandaMyrmarachne concava Zhu, J. X. Zhang, Z. S. Zhang & Chen, 2005 – ChinaMyrmarachne confusa Wanless, 1978 – Angola, São Tomé and PríncipeMyrmarachne consobrina Denis, 1955 – NigerMyrmarachne constricta – SeychellesMyrmarachne contracta – IndonesiaMyrmarachne cornuta Badcock, 1918 – China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia Myrmarachne corpuzrarosae Barrion, 1981 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne corusca Wiśniewski & Wesołowska, 2024 – UgandaMyrmarachne cowani – MadagascarMyrmarachne crassembolus Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – BorneoMyrmarachne cyrtodens Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – BorneoMyrmarachne debilis – Indonesia Myrmarachne decorata Reimoser, 1927 – Indonesia Myrmarachne dilatata – MalawiMyrmarachne dirangicus Bastawade, 2002 – IndiaMyrmarachne dubia – PhilippinesMyrmarachne dundoensis Wanless, 1978 – Angola, Kenya, BotswanaMyrmarachne edentata Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1996 – Caroline Is. Mariana Is.Myrmarachne edentula – PhilippinesMyrmarachne edwardsi Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1996 – Caroline Is.Myrmarachne eidmanni Roewer, 1942 – West Africa, DR CongoMyrmarachne elongata Szombathy, 1915 – Africa, Japan, China, VietnamMyrmarachne endoi Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia Myrmarachne epigealis Yamasaki & Edwards, 2013 – IndonesiaMyrmarachne erythrocephalus – Australia Myrmarachne eumenes – MadagascarMyrmarachne evidens Roewer, 1965 – DR Congo, Uganda, AngolaMyrmarachne foenisex Simon, 1909 – Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon, DR Congo, AngolaMyrmarachne foreli Lessert, 1925 – Uganda, Angola, Botswana, Malawi, South AfricaMyrmarachne formica – Indonesia Myrmarachne formicaria – Macaronesia, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Iran, China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to Canada, United StatesMyrmarachne formosa – Indonesia Myrmarachne formosana – TaiwanMyrmarachne formosana – TaiwanMyrmarachne formosicola Strand, 1910 – TaiwanMyrmarachne fredwanlessi Logunov, 2021 – VietnamMyrmarachne galea Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2022 – Ivory CoastMyrmarachne galianoae Cutler, 1981 – BoliviaMyrmarachne giltayi Roewer, 1965 – DR Congo, Kenya, AngolaMyrmarachne gisti Fox, 1937 – China, VietnamMyrmarachne glavisi Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010 – BaliMyrmarachne gurgulla Ceccarelli, 2010 – Australia Myrmarachne hamata C. Wang, Mi & Peng, 2023 – ChinaMyrmarachne hashimotoi Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia Myrmarachne helensmithae Pekár, 2017 – Australia Myrmarachne hesperia – West Africa, Equatorial Guinea Myrmarachne hidaspis Caporiacco, 1935 – India Myrmarachne himalayensis Narayan, 1915 – IndiaMyrmarachne hoffmanni Strand, 1913 – ChinaMyrmarachne ichneumon – Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mozambique, South AfricaMyrmarachne incerta Narayan, 1915 – IndiaMyrmarachne inermichelis Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – Russia, Korea, Japan, China, TaiwanMyrmarachne inflatipalpis Wanless, 1978 – Botswana, Malawi, South AfricaMyrmarachne iridescens Banks, 1930 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne isolata Clark & Benoit, 1977 – St. HelenaMyrmarachne jacksoni Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010 – China, Indonesia Myrmarachne jacobsoni Reimoser, 1925 – Indonesia Myrmarachne japonica – Russia, China, Korea, Taiwan, JapanMyrmarachne jianfenglin Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong, 2013 – China Myrmarachne kiboschensis Lessert, 1925 – Botswana to ChinaMyrmarachne kilifi Wanless, 1978 – Kenya, TanzaniaMyrmarachne kitale Wanless, 1978 – Guinea, Ivory Coast, KenyaMyrmarachne kochi Reimoser, 1925 – Malaysia, IndonesiaMyrmarachne kuan Wang, Mi, Li & Xu, 2024 – ChinaMyrmarachne kuwagata Yaginuma, 1967 – India, China, Korea, JapanMyrmarachne laeta – India, Pakistan, Indonesia, China
  • * M. l. flava Narayan, 1915 – Pakistan, India
  • * M. l. praelonga – MyanmarMyrmarachne lagarosoma Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia Myrmarachne lambirensis Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Indonesia Myrmarachne laurentina Bacelar, 1953 – Mozambique, South AfricaMyrmarachne lawrencei Roewer, 1965 – Ethiopia, Gabon, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, TanzaniaMyrmarachne legon Wanless, 1978 – Niger, Guinea, Ivory Coast, GhanaMyrmarachne leleupi Wanless, 1978 – South AfricaMyrmarachne leptognatha – Indonesia Myrmarachne leptosoma Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia Myrmarachne lesserti Lawrence, 1938 – South AfricaMyrmarachne linguiensis Zhang & Song, 1992 – ChinaMyrmarachne liui Wang & Li, 2021 – ChinaMyrmarachne longiventris – MadagascarMyrmarachne luachimo Wanless, 1978 – Uganda, AngolaMyrmarachne luctuosa – Australia Myrmarachne lugens – Indonesia Myrmarachne lugubris – Russia, China, KoreaMyrmarachne lulengana Roewer, 1965 – Ethiopia, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Botswana, South AfricaMyrmarachne lulengensis Roewer, 1965 – DR CongoMyrmarachne lupata – Australia Myrmarachne macaulayi Pekár, 2017 – Australia Myrmarachne macleayana – Australia Myrmarachne macrognatha – Indonesia Myrmarachne mandibularis – Indonesia Myrmarachne manducator – India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia Myrmarachne markaha Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Malaysia, PhilippinesMyrmarachne marshalli G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1903 – Sub-Saharan AfricaMyrmarachne mcgregori Banks, 1930 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839 – Pakistan to Vietnam and Indonesia Myrmarachne melanotarsa Wesołowska & Salm, 2002 – Kenya, China?Myrmarachne militaris Szombathy, 1913 – West, Central, East AfricaMyrmarachne milledgei Pekár, 2017 – Australia Myrmarachne mixiaoqii Wang & Li, 2023 – China Myrmarachne moesta – Indonesia Myrmarachne morningside Benjamin, 2015 – Sri LankaMyrmarachne myrmicaeformis – AlgeriaMyrmarachne naro Wanless, 1978 – KenyaMyrmarachne natalica Lessert, 1925 – South AfricaMyrmarachne nemorensis – MyanmarMyrmarachne nigella Simon, 1901 – Philippines. Introduced to HawaiiMyrmarachne nigeriensis Wanless, 1978 – Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, AngolaMyrmarachne nigra – Indonesia Myrmarachne nitidissima – Malaysia, Indonesia Myrmarachne onceana Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne opaca – Malaysia, PhilippinesMyrmarachne palladia Denis, 1958 – AfghanistanMyrmarachne paviei – ThailandMyrmarachne pectorosa – Indonesia
  • * M. p. sternodes – Indonesia Myrmarachne piercei Banks, 1930 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne pinakapalea Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne pinoysorum Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne pisarskii Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1996 – Caroline Is.Myrmarachne poonaensis Tikader, 1973 – IndiaMyrmarachne prava – Pakistan, India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne prognatha – MyanmarMyrmarachne providens – Pakistan, India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne pumilio – Bangladesh, Borneo, China, India, Indonesia, VietnamMyrmarachne pygmaea – SingaporeMyrmarachne radiata – Indonesia Myrmarachne ramosa Badcock, 1918 – MalaysiaMyrmarachne ramunni Narayan, 1915 – Pakistan, India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne rhopalota – MyanmarMyrmarachne richardsi Wanless, 1978 – GhanaMyrmarachne robusta – India, MyanmarMyrmarachne roeweri Reimoser, 1934 – IndiaMyrmarachne rufescens – Indonesia Myrmarachne rufisquei Berland & Millot, 1941 – SenegalMyrmarachne russellsmithi Wanless, 1978 – NigeriaMyrmarachne sabahna Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Malaysia Myrmarachne salaputium Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia Myrmarachne salongensis Pett, 2023 – DR CongoMyrmarachne satarensis Narayan, 1915 – IndiaMyrmarachne schenkeli Peng & Li, 2002 – China Myrmarachne seriatis Banks, 1930 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne singularis Logunov, 2021 – VietnamMyrmarachne smaragdina Ceccarelli, 2010 – Australia Myrmarachne solitaria G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1903 – Mozambique, South Africa, LesothoMyrmarachne spissa – India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne striatipes – Australia Myrmarachne tagalica Banks, 1930 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne tamsuiensis Yamasaki, 2013 – TaiwanMyrmarachne tayabasana Chamberlin, 1925 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne thaii Żabka, 1985 – VietnamMyrmarachne tintinnabulum Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia Myrmarachne transversa – IndiaMyrmarachne tristis – Libya to IndiaMyrmarachne uelensis Wanless, 1978 – DR CongoMyrmarachne uniseriata Narayan, 1915 – India, Sri LankaMyrmarachne uvira Wanless, 1978 – Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, BotswanaMyrmarachne vanessae Wanless, 1978 – Ivory Coast, Tanzania, MozambiqueMyrmarachne vehemens Fox, 1937 – ChinaMyrmarachne vestita – MyanmarMyrmarachne vulgarisa Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesMyrmarachne xingrenensis C. Wang, Mi & Peng, 2023 – ChinaMyrmarachne yinae C. Wang, Mi & Peng, 2023 – ChinaMyrmarachne zabkai Pekár, 2017 – Australia