''Siler niser'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

jumping spider Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family (biology), family Salticidae. , this family contained over 600 species description, described genus, genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spide ...

endemic to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, It has been proposed the common name glossy jumping spider by the discoverers of the species. The specific epithet is an acronym of the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), as the type locality of the species is the institute's campus.

Description

The carapace of a male ''Siler niser'' is covered with a mixture of bluish and greenish scales, with blue scales extending below the anterior lateral eyes and running along the rim. The legs are yellow brown with a few interspersed iridescent scales and dark brown longitudinal stripes. The palps are brown. Cymbium, tibia and patella are all covered with white hairs. Abdomen is covered with iridescent scales along anterior, lateral and posterior regions, with the anterior half with a distinct pattern composed of a reddish anchor-shaped mark and four bright blue spots. While the female's carapace is covered with white and grey scales, lateral margins covered with reddish scales, outer-rim covered with bluish-white scales. The legs retain the yellow brown color of the male but with longitudinal dark brown and white stripes. Abdomen is greyish with a similar, but incomplete pattern as seen in the males. In darker females, the red band is completely black, this perhaps occurs in older females when the scales are lost.

Range

It is currently known to be endemic to

, its type locality is National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER),

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

Ecology & Habitat

Specimens of ''Siler niser'' were found in acute vicinity of the ant '' Camponotus compressus''. Individuals were myrmecophagic like of '' S. semiglaucus''. Both sexes waved the first pair of legs in the air, perhaps mimicking the antennae of the ants. This waving behaviour was observed both in the presence as well as in the absence of ants. Individuals are extremely agile and move to the underside of leaves as soon as they detected any external movement. Type specimens were collected from ''Hyptis suaveolens'' and ''

Lannea coromandelica ''Lannea coromandelica'', also known as the Indian ash tree, is a species of tree in the family Anacardiaceae that grows in South and Southeast Asia, ranging from Sri Lanka to Southern China. Known also as the Mohin tree (Hindi: मोहिन) ...

'' seedling foliage, both about 2 feet above the ground, during the month of May.

Threats

The type specimen individuals of ''Siler niser'' were collected from a

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

type habitat. These habitats are under threat as they are often labelled as unproductive and the biodiversity they harbour remains poorly documented.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q117100634 Salticidae Spiders described in 2023 Spiders of the Indian subcontinent Arthropods of India