Two taxonomists discovered three new endemic species of jumping spiders in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region.
Father-daughter Dr. Albert Barrion and Dr. Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo recently published their study in the Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology, describing the three spiders as new to science.
Lepidemathis cavinti was collected from a primary forest in Cavinti, Laguna, while Lepidemathis lipa was from a young cacao orchard close to bamboos and Gmelina trees in Lipa City, Batangas. Both were named after the locality where they were discovered.
On the other hand, Lepidemathis dogmani n. sp. was collected from a boulder in a dry riverbank in Mauban, Quezon and was named after microbiologist Dr. Irineo Dogma Jr.
“In 2014, we participated in the animal biodiversity survey program of the University of the Philippines Museum of Natural History University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna conducted in Cavinti, Laguna province that overlaps with Mauba, Quezon province. We handled the Araneae group and among the collected samples are the Salticidae,” the researchers said.
“While running the taxonomic identification of the family, we found some interesting jumping spiders that possess a modified prolateral structure in the tibia of the male pedipalps. Careful examination revealed that it belong to the genus Lepidemathis Simon, 1903 primarily known only from the Philippines,” they added.
The newly discovered species of spiders that belong to order Araneae have two unique characteristics that distinguish them from other families of spiders. They have large and conspicuous anterior median eyes that provide telescopic vision to effectively hunt for preys and its jumping habit.
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