Adanson's House Jumper Spider (Hasarius adansoni): Scientific Classification, Habit and Habitat, Food Habit, Identifying Characters

Adanson's House Jumper Spider (Hasarius adansoni): Scientific Classification, Habit and Habitat, Food Habit, Identifying Characters

Scientific Classification

Kingdom:        Animalia

Phylum:          Arthropoda

Subphylum:   Chelicerata

Class:             Arachnida

Order:             Araneae

Family:           Salticidae

Genus:           Hasarius

Species:        adansoni

Habit and Habitat:

• Commonly seen on house walls and ceilings.
• Shows a distinctive behavior of moving white tufted pedipalps while walking.

Food Habit: Feeds on insects like fruit flies, house flies, planthoppers,  and other prey(tadpole). It also exhibits kleptoparasitism (steal prey from other web spiders).

Identifying Characters:

1. Size: Female 6-8 mm, Male 5-7 mm.
2. Cephalothorax almost spherical, black coloured in male and pale yellowish brown colour in female.
3. Eight eyes are present, a distinct crescent white patch present behind the ocular region.
4. Chelicerae with a promarginal and retromarginal tooth.
5. Abdomen broad and spherical, pale yellowish brown in males with an inverted crescent mark at the anterior end and dull yellowish brown with spots on the dorsal surface of females.
6. Distinct white tuft of white hairs are present on male pedipalps.
7. Legs are long and covered with spines.

References:

·  https://asbb.assam.gov.in/sites/default/files/swf_utility_folder/departments/asbb_lipl_in_oid_7/portlet/level_2/Common%20Spiders%20from%20select%20PAs%20of%20Upper%20Assam.pdf

·        https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221673646_Household_spider_species_exhibit_Kleptoparasitism_An_interaction_between_Plexxippus_paykulli_and_Hasarius_adansoni