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Metaphidippus

Wayne Maddison
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The genus Metaphidippus has been a polyphyletic collection of dendryphantine leftovers: they are the small to medium sized dendryphantines of North and Central America excluding the species that are bigger (e.g., Phidippus) or with more exotic body shapes or features (e.g., Hentzia). Thus, the genus has included a series of species groups which phylogenetically are pretty close to a random sample from scattered around the subfamily. Maddison (1996) began the dismantling of the genus by removing four groups to other genera (the galathea group to Pelegrina, the harfordii group to Phanias, the mylothrus group to Terralonus, and the castaneus group to Ghelna). The mannii group and vitis group were left in the genus for lack of a better place at present. The only species that is certainly a Metaphidippus is the type species (M. mandibulatus), which is Costa Rican and known from a single specimen. It appears closely related to Messua and Bagheera.

For a complete listing of species recently placed in Metaphidippus, see Proszynski's catalogue.

Containing group: Dendryphantinae

References

Maddison, W.P. 1996. Pelegrina Franganillo and other jumping spiders formerly placed in the genus Metaphidippus (Araneae: Salticidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. l54(4): 215-368.

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Copyright © 1994-1995 Wayne Maddison
Copyright © 1994-1995 Wayne Maddison
About This Page

Wayne Maddison
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Wayne Maddison at

All Rights Reserved.

Citing this page:

Maddison, Wayne. 1995. Metaphidippus. Version 01 January 1995 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Metaphidippus/2897/1995.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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