Matidia is a genus of jumping spiders belonging to the family Salticidae. It was first described by the Swedish arachnologist Tamerlan Thorell in 1892. Spiders in this genus are primarily found in Southeast Asia.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Family: Salticidae
- Genus: Matidia Thorell, 1892
Description
As members of the Salticidae family, Matidia spiders are characterized by their agile movements and excellent vision, which they use for hunting prey without the aid of a web for capture. They typically possess a compact body, with the characteristic arrangement of eight eyes, including a prominent anterior median pair that provides acute vision. While specific morphological details distinguishing the genus might require specialized arachnological literature, they share the general predatory and locomotive behaviors common to jumping spiders.
Species
The genus Matidia comprises several recognized species. Examples include:
- Matidia bicolor Thorell, 1892 (found in Myanmar)
- Matidia incurvata (Deng & Li, 1999) (found in China)
- Matidia mellita Thorell, 1892 (found in Sumatra)
- Matidia muju Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2013 (found in New Guinea)
- Matidia parva Thorell, 1892 (found in Singapore)
- Matidia trinotata Thorell, 1892 (found in Sumatra)
Distribution and Habitat
Species within the genus Matidia are predominantly found across various regions of Southeast Asia. Their documented distribution includes countries such as Myanmar, Indonesia (Sumatra), Singapore, China, and New Guinea. Like many other jumping spiders, they typically inhabit vegetation, including foliage, branches, and leaf litter, where they actively hunt small invertebrates.