A previously unknown species of jumping spider with modest genitalia but incredible eyesight has been discovered near Rotorua.
In a statement, Rotorua Canopy Tours said the new species of spider was found in Dansey Scenic Reserve.
The spider, otherwise known as the Salticidae paapaakiri, is a native jumping spider that lives beneath the bark of the rimu tree, a behaviour that had never been observed in other species.
The spiders’ discoverer, Lincoln University PhD student Kate Curtis, said it was unusual to find the spider living under rimu tree bark.
“Most other native jumping spiders live in vegetation, leaf litter, under rocks and even high in the mountain ranges so it was unusual to find one specifically living under the rimu bark.”
For a new species to be categorised, scientists must find a male and female specimen, which means examining the genitalia of the spider, which can be a trying task considering they are minuscule.
“It’s a bit of a weird thing to talk about, but male spiders have genitalia called pedipalps, which are kind of like little boxing gloves up near their face,” Curtis said.
“The female spiders have something called an epigyne that sits under their abdomen. We look at their structures, we photograph them, we draw them, we measure them, and then we describe all of their features.”
There are an estimated 250 species of jumping spiders in New Zealand, and only 50 are described, with less than 10 that can be reliably identified.
Photo Credit: NZ Herald
