Colonus pallidus
| Colonus pallidus | |
|---|---|
| from Colombia | |
| male from original description | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Genus: | Colonus |
| Species: | C. pallidus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Colonus pallidus (C. L. Koch, 1846)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Colonus pallidus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found throughout Central and South America.[1]
Etymology
The specific name pallidus is derived from Latin meaning "pale", referring to the spider's coloration.[2]
Distribution
C. pallidus has been recorded from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.[1]
Description
Colonus pallidus is a small jumping spider with a body length of approximately 3-5 mm.[2][3]
Females
Females show some variation in coloration. One form described by Holmberg has a totally black head dorsally, featuring a five-rayed star of almost white color that divides the head into five parts. The opisthosoma displays a double longitudinal row of dark stripes directed obliquely outward and backward.[4]
Males
Males have a reddish-brown cephalothorax with black eyes positioned in a darker shadow. They display yellowish-white scales, particularly covering the sides, with exposed areas being strongly glossy. The chelicerae are somewhat hidden under the head and dark rust-brown in color. The pedipalps are ochre-yellow with the terminal segment being somewhat darker, and the genitalia are blackish-brown.[2]
The cephalothorax is broad and high, with the thoracic region narrowed posteriorly and strongly roof-shaped. The opisthosoma is thin, long, and cone-shaped at the posterior end.[2]
The opisthosoma is beautifully olive-yellow with two longitudinal stripes extending over the sides that are bright yellowish-white. On the posterior half, there is a row of black dots, with two of these extending further inward. The ventral surface is bright yellow with a whitish coating on both sides and a bright yellowish-white longitudinal stripe.[2]
The legs are yellow, with the femora of the four anterior legs being brown at the tips. The knees and tibiae have a rust-brown coating, while the tarsal tips are finely black.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Colonus pallidus (C. L. Koch, 1846)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Koch, C. L. (1846). Die Arachniden. Vol. 13. Nürnberg: J. L. Lotzbeck. p. 179.
- ^ Rubio, G. D.; Baigorria, J. E. M.; Scioscia, C. L. (2018). Arañas saltícidas de Misiones. Guía para la identificación (tribus basales). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Ediciones Fundación Azara, Universidad Maimónides. p. 86.
- ^ Holmberg, E. L. (1876). "Arácnidos argentinos". Anales de Agricultura de la República Argentina. 4: 24.