Zygoballus iridescens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zygoballus iridescens |
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| Zygoballus iridescens holotype, dorsal view | |
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Zygoballus iridescens is a type of jumping spider found in the United States. It is known from only one female spider ever found. This special spider was collected in Franconia, New Hampshire, by a woman named Annie Trumbull Slosson.
Discovery and Description
The only known specimen of Zygoballus iridescens was found by Annie Trumbull Slosson. She was a well-known insect collector. After she found the spider, it was studied by a scientist named Nathan Banks.
Banks officially described the spider in 1895. He published his description in a science magazine called Canadian Entomologist. He noted that the spider was about 4.1 millimeters long. That's roughly the size of a small ant! He also mentioned its shiny, iridescent scales on its body. These scales likely gave the spider its name, iridescens, which means "shining with many colors."
What Makes It Special?
Nathan Banks described some key features of this spider. He noted that its head area was black, and its body was reddish. Both parts had whitish hairs and scales. The front legs were black, but the rest of its legs were pale yellow. Its mouthparts were reddish-brown.
He also pointed out that its body shape was similar to another spider, Zygoballus bettini. However, Zygoballus iridescens had slightly smaller mouthparts. Its chest area (sternum) was also wider. These small differences helped him identify it as a new species.
Studying the Specimen
Later, in 1909, two other spider experts, George and Elizabeth Peckham, looked at the same spider specimen. They wrote about it in their book, Revision of the Attidae of North America. They thought the spider might not have been fully grown when it was collected. They wondered if it could be a young version of Zygoballus bettini. Today, Zygoballus bettini is known by a different name, Zygoballus rufipes. However, Zygoballus iridescens is still considered its own unique species.
The original spider specimen, which is very important for science, is kept safe. It is stored at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. This is where scientists can study it further.
