Stenaelurillus guttiger

Stenaelurillus guttiger
The related Stenaelurillus termitophagus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Salticidae
Subfamily:	Salticinae
Genus:	Stenaelurillus
Species:	S. guttiger
Binomial name
Stenaelurillus guttiger (Simon, 1901)
Synonyms[1]
Aelurillus guttiger Simon, 1901 Stenaelurillus natalensis Haddad & Wesołowska, 2006

Stenaelurillus guttiger (synonyms Aelurillus guttiger and Stenaelurillus natalensis) is a species of jumping spider in the genus Stenaelurillus that is native to southern Africa. It was first described in 1901 by Eugène Simon based on examples found in South Africa, and subsequently also identified in Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Initially allocated to the genus Aelurillus, the species was moved to its current genus in 1974. The spider is medium-sized, with a carapace that is between 2.0 and 2.75 mm (0.079 and 0.108 in) long and an abdomen that is between 1.8 and 2.9 mm (0.071 and 0.114 in) long. It is dark brown or brown, and has a pattern of white hairs on both the abdomen and carapace and a pattern of two stripes on the carapace. The abdomen has a white pattern of straight and V-shaped stripes and spots which varies between specimens. The colouring of the clypeus and legs can also range from yellow to dark brown depending on the particular example. It is distinguished from other species in the genus by the design of its sexual organs. The male has an embolus that is short and crab like. The female has a flat plate epigyne with widely separated copulatory openings and insemination ducts and a deep narrow pocket. Stenaelurillus guttiger feeds on termites, particularly Macrotermes and Odontotermes.