Photo Adventures with Curiosity and Learning


September 7, 2013: A jumper, Salticidae (probably Cosmophasis thalassina) and Crab Spiders Thomisus guangxicus

Rained last night and early this morning - so I did not know what to expect. My first photo was of the rain drops on Asystasia gangetica

sep 07 6331 asystasia gangetica

My second photo was of Melastoma - and when I looked carefully, there was a jumping spider hiding near the stamen (Salticidae) probably Cosmophasis thalassina. Why probably, because Joseph Koh's shows her with four posterior eyes and I have only two. A variant? Took lots of photos because the colorful background was simply perfect

sep 07 6338 melastoma salticidae

Her ladyship, a colorful jumper. Probably Cosmophasis thalassina

sep 07 6343 salticidae

On a colorful stage

sep 07 6344 salticidae on stage

Green iridescent head

sep 07 6353 green jumping head

Another view

sep 07 6354 green cephalothorax

Close-up of her face - the usual two prominent medial eyes and smaller lateral eyes.

sep 07 6355 compophasis thalassina

The green iridescent cap, four frontal eyes and I can only locate one posterior eye on each side - a puzzle

sep 07 6356 green headed salticidae

Colorful background

sep 07 6363 colorful background

Looking at me

sep 07 6370 looking at me

Another view of her head - I only see the two posterior eyes.

sep 07 6378 full salticidae

In this image, there is perhaps another eye behind the posterior eye - I used a flash and there appears to be flash artifact in this structure

sep 07 6380 laterial eyes

Another view

sep 07 6380 posterior eyes

From the side

sep 07 6381 salticidae side

Hiding

sep 07 6396 anterior eyes

Another view

sep 07 6397 salticidae stamen

Thomisus guangxicus

sep 07 6401 crab spider

Some seeds maybe?

sep 07 6412 crab seeds

Here this Thomisus guangxicus is adapting the yellow color of the flower - compare with the green coloration above

sep 07 6416 yellow crab

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C. Frank Starmer

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