Parabomis wandae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Thomisidae
Genus:	Parabomis
Species:	P. wandae
Binomial name
Parabomis wandae Dippenaar-Schoeman & Foord, 2020

Parabomis wandae is a species of crab spider in the genus Parabomis that lives in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Rwanda. The species was first described in 2020 by Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman and Stefan Foord. It thrives in rainforests. The spider is very small, with a total length between 1.9 and 2.26 mm (0.075 and 0.089 in). The female is larger and lighter in colour than the male. It has a distinctive hump to the abdomen, which for the female is less pronounced. The female abdomen has dark patches and spots on its white surface, while the male has a brown shell. The species can be differentiated from other members of the genus by its copulatory organs. The male has a distinctive beak-like end of the retrolateral tibial apophysis. The female has an egg-shaped epigyne with long copulatory ducts.

Taxonomy

Parabomis wandae was first described by Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman and Stefan Foord in 2020.^[1] The species is named after the Polish arachnologist Wanda Wesołowska.^[2] The species was added to the genus Parabomis, which had been first described by Władysław Kulczyński in 1901.^[3] The genus is a member of the family Thomisidae, known as crab spiders, Like other members of the subfamily Bominae, the spiders are small with short legs and a globular body. They are related to the genera Holopelus and Thomisops.^[4] The species are particularly noted for their size, being amongst the smallest of the family, and are also known as frog spiders.^[5]

Desscription

The spider is very small. The male has a typical total length of 1.9 mm (0.075 in). The carapace is dark brown, measures 0.91 mm (0.036 in) long and 0.95 mm (0.037 in) wide, and has many small nodules. The eye field is black. The abdomen has a distinctive hump shape. It is covered in a hard brown shell with black patches on top and has a paler underside. The chelicerae are brown, and the legs are generally dark brown with white bands on the joints. The palpal bulb has a long retrolateral tibial apophysis that is characteristic of the species. The end is beak-like. The spider can be distinguished by its copulatory organs from others in the genus, particularly the shape of the embolus.^[6]

The female is larger than the male, typically reaching 2.26 mm (0.089 in) in length. The carapace is a lighter brown and measures 0.97 mm (0.038 in) in length and 1.1 mm (0.043 in) in width. There are white areas in the eye field. The chelicerae are also a fawn colour. The abdomen has a less distinctive hump and is lighter in colour, white with dark patches and spots. The epigyne is shaped like an egg and has thick edges. The copulatory ducts are long and curved, leading to elongated spermathecae. The shape of the epigyne particular helps identify the species.^[6]

Behaviour

Parabomis wandae is active between September and November, although its life cycle outside that time has not been observed.^[7] Spiders of the genus have a short strike range and will only feed on prey that is in close range. The short legs also impede web spinning and so the spider will use gravity to help.^[8]

Distribution and habitat

Parabomis wandae has been found in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Rwanda.^[1] The holotype was found in Kakum National Park in Ghana in 2005.^[6] It was also identified in forests near Appouasso in Ivory Coast, in Kakamega Forest in Kenya and near to Ibanda Makera in Rwanda. The spider thrives in a range of rain forest habitats, including both primary and secondary forests, and montane ecosystems.^[7]

References