Vital Parts Missing, Pt. 2 - _TNY_3932
I had some real difficulties identifying this jumping spider found in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, but then it struck me - this one only has six legs!
Somehow someplace it had lost a battle and in it, both front legs. On males of this species, Epocilla calcarata, the front pair of legs are distinctly larger and also dark in colour, totally changing the apperance compared to this guy.
If a spider is wounded somewhere on the body, it will die as the hemolymph (ie the spider's blood) just keeps seeping out. But damaging a leg is a different thing as they have kind of valves in the leg joints, effectively shutting them off from the body.
A young, still growing, spider will as they moult actually grow back any missing legs, though a full leg might take several moults to reach full size.
Judging by the shape of the abdomen on this one, it is more likely a female - which have the front pair of legs looking like the other two pairs.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/47671407062/
Vital Parts Missing, Pt. 2 - _TNY_3932
I had some real difficulties identifying this jumping spider found in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, but then it struck me - this one only has six legs!
Somehow someplace it had lost a battle and in it, both front legs. On males of this species, Epocilla calcarata, the front pair of legs are distinctly larger and also dark in colour, totally changing the apperance compared to this guy.
If a spider is wounded somewhere on the body, it will die as the hemolymph (ie the spider's blood) just keeps seeping out. But damaging a leg is a different thing as they have kind of valves in the leg joints, effectively shutting them off from the body.
A young, still growing, spider will as they moult actually grow back any missing legs, though a full leg might take several moults to reach full size.
Judging by the shape of the abdomen on this one, it is more likely a female - which have the front pair of legs looking like the other two pairs.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/47671407062/