Marchena facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marchena |
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| Male Marchena minuta in Humboldt County, California | |
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The Marchena is a special type of jumping spider. These tiny spiders are found only in the United States. There is only one known species in this group, called Marchena minuta.
You can often find Marchena minuta living on the bark of conifer trees. They are mostly found along the west coast of the U.S. This includes states like California, Washington, and Nevada.
These spiders are part of a family of spiders called Salticidae. They are closely related to other spider groups like Afraflacilla, Pseudicius, and Festucula. This means they share a common ancestor.
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About the Marchena Spider
Marchena minuta is a very small spider. Its body is only about 4 mm long. That's roughly the size of a grain of rice!
How to Spot a Marchena Spider
It's easy to tell Marchena minuta apart from other spiders. Look closely at its first pair of legs. These spiders have small bumps, called tubercles, on the first part of their front legs. This unique feature helps scientists identify them.
The Name of the Spider
Have you ever wondered how animals get their names? The name Marchena for this spider group might come from a city in Spain called Marchena, Seville. The scientists who named these spiders, George and Elizabeth Peckham, often named new species after places. These places were not always where the spiders lived.
The second part of the spider's name, minuta, is a Latin word. It means "small" or "minute." This name fits perfectly because the spider is indeed very tiny!
Images for kids
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Salticidae.org - Marchena minuta male.jpg
Diagnostic drawing of a male Marchena minuta
