Diagnoses of genera
of South East Asia: 51.2 Square headed salticids with long thin,
colourful abdomens. Found on shrubs and plants. General remarks: This section
includes some of the commoner salticids likely to be seen on foliage in rain
forest or garden. They are often brightly coloured and immediately attract
attention. Their large, dark, anterior median eyes are noticed immediately.
The long thin bodies, long legs and long chelicerae of males are characteristic.
Genera for which little information is available or are possibly rare are placed
here tentatively and preceded by a "?".Genus: Bavia
(7-11; 6-11), PI. 28:1-2. This is another genus of long-legged and long, thin-bodied
salticids often found on the leaves on shrubs or the lower branches of trees.
For the male of the common B. aericeps, the cephalothorax is broad and flattish,
and in plan is slightly longer than wide. The cephalus is flat, with the curved
thorax sloping steadily and the sides more steeply to the margin of the carapace.
The eye region is dark brown and the eye surrounds black. The thorax and sides
are brown grading to dark brown at the margin, and carrying a sprinkling of
white hairs and patches. The abdomen is long and tubular, rounded anteriorly
and tapering very gradually to the spinnerets. It is brown in colour with a
series of dark brown patches and small white dots running the length of the
abdomen. The female has a brown abdomen with a broad, median, yellow stripe.
The front legs are dark brown with yellow tarsi. They are long, somewhat robust
and held out in front almost scorpion style. The remaining legs are shorter,
slender, yellowish-brown with dark brown femora. There are not many spines,
but the ventral spines on leg I are short and robust.
Distribution: Bavia
is a tropical genus whose main range stretches from P. Malaysia to Australia
and some Pacific Islands. There is also an isolated species recorded from Madagascar.
Murphy & Murphy 2000: 295. By courtesy of the Authors' and the Malaysian
Nature Society.
Copyright © for the page by J. Proszynski, 2000.