MANGALURU: The two-striped jumper spider (Telamonia Dimidiata) is a common species of spider that one would come across in their backyards. A research team, including a local wildlife enthusiast from the district, have found some unique findings about this spider. Their findings were published in the international peer-reviewed scientific journal Peckhamia last month.
A research team led by naturalist and arachnologist Javed Ahmed, along with Moodabidri based environmentalist, surgeon and wildlife enthusiast Dr Krishna Mohan, birder and amateur arachnologist Rajashree Khalap and macro-wildlife photography enthusiast Somnath Kumbhar studied this jumper spider at Nagaon, near Alibaug in Maharashtra.
The team collaborated with two renowned experts, Dr David Hill, a US-based expert on jumping spiders, and Dr Richard Pearce, a British spider expert and ecologist, who works closely with IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). This two-striped jumper builds overnight silk retreats (temporary nests) and the team found that it abandons these retreats, which is somewhat uncommon. Krishna Mohan said the spiders build such nests but they consume them to improve their protein intake. They said that it was peculiar that these spiders abandoned their nests, though there could be other species of spiders doing the same, he said.
Jumping spiders belong to the family Salticidae. With 6,115 known species and 636 genera, it is the largest of spider families. They are known for their extremely agile jumps, notably when hunting, responding to threats or while crossing long gaps. Despite being easily identified and commonly seen, they are poorly studied, like most spiders in India, according to the team.
The team also studied the prey records of the species. The spider feeds on other spiders from the Salticidae family and on flies and other insects.The research team felt that this discovery is important because it sheds more light on the species, which while common, is extremely important to the functioning of our diverse ecosystem. These tiny creatures are often overlooked and misunderstood.
Dr Krishna Mohan recalled an old Internet hoax about the two-striped jumper spider being called the most toxic and that they were found in the toilets of airplanes coming from India and other Asian countries. “It was a hoax because these spiders are harmless,” he said. “Uncovering new information about this species will not only lead to understanding the species better, but it will also add to our knowledge of the natural history and ecology of spiders found in our country,” added Javed Ahmed.