Helpis minitabunda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Helpis minitabunda |
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| Female | |
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| Male | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Genus: | Helpis |
| Species: |
H. minitabunda
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| Binomial name | |
| Helpis minitabunda L.Koch 1880
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| Synonyms | |
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Helpis minitabunda is a type of jumping spider. You can find this spider in many places across eastern and southeastern Australia. It also lives in Papua New Guinea. These spiders usually hang out on plants in wet areas.
People often call this spider the threatening jumping spider or the bronze jumping spider. Its scientific name, minitabunda, comes from a Latin word meaning "threatening". This is because the male spider can act very brave or even a bit scary when someone gets close to it.
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Meet the Threatening Jumping Spider
This spider is quite special because the male is bigger than the female. This is unusual for spiders! Male Helpis minitabunda spiders can grow up to 10 millimeters long. Females are a bit smaller, reaching about 8 millimeters.
What Does It Look Like?
The front two pairs of legs on these spiders are extra long. The male spider has a flat-topped head covered with creamy white hairs. Below its head, it has large, sticking-out jaws called chelicerae. The female spider tends to be more hidden and shy.
Spider Courtship Dance
When a male and female Helpis minitabunda spider want to mate, they perform a special dance. This courtship dance can last for a long time, sometimes two to three hours! It's how they get to know each other before mating.
Where Else Can You Find It?
The Helpis minitabunda spider has also become an invasive species in New Zealand. This means it was brought there by humans and now lives and reproduces in the wild, sometimes causing problems for local plants and animals.
