Epocilla blairei

Epocilla blairei
female from Hong Kong
male from Hong Kong
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Genus: Epocilla
Species:
E. blairei
Binomial name
Epocilla blairei
Żabka, 1985

Epocilla blairei is a species of jumping spider in the genus Epocilla. It was first described in 1985 by Polish arachnologist Marek Żabka based on specimens from Vietnam.[1] The species is distributed from Taiwan to Vietnam.[2]

Taxonomy

Epocilla blairei was described by Marek Żabka in 1985 as part of his comprehensive systematic study of jumping spiders from Vietnam.[1] The species belongs to the genus Epocilla, which was established by Tamerlan Thorell in 1887.[2] The genus Epocilla is part of the tribe Chrysillini within the family Salticidae.[3]

The holotype male and allotype female were originally identified as "Epocilla aurantiaca Snr., Tonkin, (BLAIRE)" and are deposited in the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris.[1] The species was initially confused with Epocilla aurantiaca, having been misidentified by Eugène Simon in earlier collections.[1]

Distribution

Epocilla blairei has been recorded from Taiwan to Vietnam.[2] It has also been observed in Thailand.[3]

Description

The species exhibits the characteristic features of the genus Epocilla. Males possess distinctive palpal organs with a double tibial apophysis, a rounded outgrowth on the bulbus surface, and a long, broad, sinuous embolus. Females have an epigyne with an oval incision on the side of the epigastric furrow, oval spermathecae, well-developed accessory glands and fertilization canals, and copulatory canals that are not visible, distinguishing it from related species.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Żabka, M. (1985). "Systematic and zoogeographic study on the family Salticidae (Araneae) from Viet-Nam". Annales Zoologici, Warszawa. 39: 197–485.
  2. ^ a b c "Epocilla blairei Żabka, 1985". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Epocilla blairei". iNaturalist. Retrieved 26 August 2025.