Phiale crocea
Phiale crocea is a species of spider in the jumping spider family. It was first described by German arachnologist Carl Ludwig Koch in 1846.
Taxonomy
The species has a complex taxonomic history with several synonyms. In 1981, María Elena Galiano conducted a comprehensive revision of the genus Phiale and synonymized several species with P. crocea, including Chira luctuosa Simon, 1902, Euophrys obscurus Taczanowski, 1871, and Phiale zonata Caporiacco, 1947.Distribution
P. crocea has a wide distribution across the Neotropical region, ranging from Panama in the north to Brazil in the south. The species has been recorded from several countries including French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname.Description
Based on Koch's original description, the female is approximately 3 1/8 lines in length. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism with distinct coloration patterns between males and females.The female has an orange-red cephalothorax with a black plate on the forehead and dark legs. The abdomen is fire-red with yellowish coloration on the underside, while the entire back area is deep black. The chelicerae are rust-red, becoming brownish at the tips, and the palps are brownish-yellow with fine black tips. The legs are orange-red with black-brown tarsi, and the femora and tibiae are yellow with fine black markings.