Afraflacilla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Afraflacilla
An undescribed Afraflacilla species, Tennant Creek NT Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Salticidae
Subfamily:	Salticinae
Genus:	Afraflacilla
Type species
Afraflacilla bamakoi

Afraflacilla grayorum from Kiwirrkurra Indigenous Protected Area in the Gibson Desert, Western Australia

Afraflacilla is a group of spiders known as a genus. These spiders belong to the jumping spider family, called Salticidae. Most Afraflacilla species live in parts of Africa, including the Middle East, and in Australia. One species, A. epiblemoides, can even be found in Europe.

For a while, these spiders were thought to be part of another group called Pseudicius. Scientists are still working to figure out the exact differences between these two groups. In 2016, a scientist named Jerzy Prószyński created a new group, Psenuc, for some spiders that were hard to place.

The name Afraflacilla comes from "Africa," because many of the first spiders found in this group were from there. It also includes part of the name Flacilla, which was an older name for a jumping spider group now called Flacillula. The name Flacilla itself came from Aelia Flaccilla, who was the wife of a Roman Emperor named Theodosius I. Afraflacilla spiders are closely related to other spider groups like Pseudicius, Festucula, and Marchena.

Afraflacilla spiders have special bumps called tubercles and tiny hairs called bristles on their bodies and legs. They can rub these together to make sounds. These sounds are used when they are trying to find a mate, and maybe also to protect themselves from danger. You can often see the small bumps under their eyes without needing a magnifying glass.

Afraflacilla Spiders in Australia

Some of the Afraflacilla species found in Australia include A. grayorum, A. gunbar, A. huntorum, A. milledgei, A. stridulator, A. vestjensi, and A. yeni. In Australia, these spiders often live on tree trunks in deserts, open woodlands, and forests. They prefer warmer areas, from Western Australia all the way to Queensland. There are many more Afraflacilla species in Australia that scientists haven't officially named yet!

For example, Afraflacilla grayorum, also known as Gray's stridulating jumping spider, lives in the deserts of northern Australia. It was named to honor two scientists, Michael and Greta Gray.

Male Afraflacilla spiders have special parts on their legs called palpal organs. These parts help scientists identify different species. Some Australian Afraflacilla species have very large first leg segments, and sometimes even big spikes on their leg joints. These enlarged leg parts are also a feature of Pseudicius spiders, which are found all over the world outside Australia.

Different Types of Afraflacilla Spiders

Palpal organs of two species of undescribed Australian Afraflacilla. These parts help scientists tell different species apart.

As of November 2017, the World Spider Catalog, which keeps track of all known spider species, listed the following Afraflacilla species:

See Also

In Spanish: Afraflacilla para niños