Phiale crocea

Phiale crocea is a species of spider in the jumping spider family (Salticidae). It was first described by German arachnologist Carl Ludwig Koch in 1846.^[1]

The species has a complex taxonomic history with several synonyms. In 1981, María Elena Galiano conducted a comprehensive revision of the genus Phiale and synonymized several species with P. crocea, including Chira luctuosa Simon, 1902, Euophrys obscurus Taczanowski, 1871, and Phiale zonata Caporiacco, 1947.^[2]

P. crocea has a wide distribution across the Neotropical region, ranging from Panama in the north to Brazil in the south.^[3] The species has been recorded from several countries including French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname.

Based on Koch's original description, the female is approximately 3 1/8 lines (about 7 mm) in length.^[1] The species exhibits sexual dimorphism with distinct coloration patterns between males and females.

The female has an orange-red cephalothorax (front part of the body) with a black plate on the forehead and dark legs. The abdomen is fire-red with yellowish coloration on the underside, while the entire back area is deep black. The chelicerae (mouthparts) are rust-red, becoming brownish at the tips, and the palps are brownish-yellow with fine black tips. The legs are orange-red with black-brown tarsi (feet), and the femora and tibiae are yellow with fine black markings.^[1]