Springspinnekop
on 3rd June 2013
Other observations of Salticidae
Species with which Salticidae interacts
Comments
no other angle
Got a series of this interesting spider, but all from about the same angle. A small spider and had difficulty focusing. Was found along the Longshadows trail in deep forest close by a stream. Not sure that it is a jumping spider either, and the white woolly abdomen is also unusual (to me the novice).
it has to be a jumper
although with a head like that it might be a butter!
Dead spider & entomopathogenic fungus
This is a dead or paralysed spider "glued" to the leaf by the mycelium with fruiting bodies of the entomopathogenic fungus (order Laboulbeniales, Ascomycota; the woolly white stuff) which killed it. The spider's cephalothorax looks so large, relatively, because the fungus has consumed most of its abdomen. Zoom in on the second photo.
@Mostert: will you please upload the second photo in higher resolution?
Looking at the arrangement of the eyes, the spider does not seem to be a salticid.
-- Beetledude
Correction
On second thoughts, the fungus is not Laboulbeniales, which have different, very distinctive fruiting bodies. A higher resolution image may help to identify the entomopathogen. I am thinking in the direction of Hypocreales now.
-- Beetledude
Wow: looks like a great
Wow: looks like a great Interaction: please post an interaction to the fungus!
Astounding!
Who knew?! Thank you for, once again, enlightening us with such fascinating info! It is a wondrous world :)
Fascinating wondrous world?
Not if you are a spider and wake up with a bad case of Athletes Foot and find yourself glued to a leaf!!!
Eye arrangement
Eye arrangement looks very similar to Thyene (e.g. see http://salticidae.org/salticid/diagnost/thyene/phra-kph.htm), but that just happens to be the Salticid species illustrated on page 261 of African Spiders.
Nominated as Observation of the Month
http://ispot.org.za/node/204946#comment-111100.
-- Beetledude
ridiculous!
Now that is absurd. Must be the biggest head to body ratio in a spider that I have ever seen.
I know I am asking the impossible, but you did not get a front view of the head: those fore eyes just have to be intelligent with so much brain power.