Rhene flavicomans
Rhene flavicomans, known as the wasp-mimic jumping spider, is a species of spider in the genus Rhene. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Taxonomy
Rhene flavicomans was first described by Eugène Simon in 1902 based on a male specimen. The species was later redescribed by Prószyński in 1984, who provided detailed diagnostic drawings and first described the female.In 1991, Song and Chai described Rhene biembolusa from Hainan, China. This species was later synonymized with R. flavicomans by Caleb et al. in 2022, who demonstrated that R. biembolusa represented the same taxon.
Description
Rhene flavicomans exhibits sexual dimorphism typical of jumping spiders. Males measure 4.76–5.90 mm in body length, while females are slightly smaller at 3.40–5.00 mm.The cephalothorax is described as dark brown with a glossy appearance, covered with yellowish setae. The eye arrangement follows the typical salticid pattern, with the anterior median eyes being the largest. The abdomen is oval-shaped with distinctive coloration patterns that vary between sexes.
The male of the species shows adaptations has a wasp-mimicking pattern, which may provide Batesian mimicry protection from predators.