''Zygoballus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

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 ...

s found in

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

Taxonomy and history

The genus was first described in 1885 by American

arachnologist Arachnology is the scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, ticks, and mites. Those who study spiders and other arachnids are arachnologists. More narrowly ...

George and Elizabeth Peckham George Williams Peckham (March 23, 1845 – January 10, 1914) and Elizabeth Maria Gifford Peckham (December 19, 1854 – February 11, 1940) were a married couple who were early American teachers, Taxonomy (biology), taxonomists, ...

based on the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

Zygoballus rufipes ''Zygoballus'' is a genus of jumping spiders found in North and South America. Taxonomy and history The genus was first described in 1885 by American arachnologists George and Elizabeth Peckham based on the type species '' Zygoballus rufipes''. ...

''. The name derives from a combination of the Ancient Greek word ζυγόν (''zygon''), meaning "yoke", and the genus name ''

Ballus ''Ballus'' is a spider genus of the family Salticidae (jumping spiders). Description ''Ballus'' are typically small, squat spiders. The carapace is broad oval, almost as wide as long, flat on top with the sides and back almost vertical, and a ru ...

''. The etymology of ''Ballus'' is unknown, but may be related to the Greek word βαλλίζω (''ballizo''), meaning "dance" or "jump about". The genus '' Messua'', based on the type species '' Messua desidiosa'', was synonymized with ''Zygoballus'' by

Eugène Simon Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924) was a French naturalist who worked particularly on insects and spiders, but also on birds and plants. He is by far the most prolific spider Taxonomy (biology), taxonomist in history, ...

in 1903. Simon argued that ''Messua desidiosa'' was a transitional species which differed "much less from typical ''Zygoballus'' than would seem to be indicated by he Peckham'sdescription." This synonymy was reversed by

Wayne Maddison Wayne Paul Maddison (born 1958) is a Canadian evolutionary biologist, arachnologist, and biological illustrator. He is Canada Research Chair in Biodiversity and a professor at the departments of zoology and botany at the University of British ...

in 1996, and ''Messua'' restored as a valid genus. The genus ''Amerotritte'', based on the type species '' Amerotritte lineata'', was synonymized with ''Zygoballus'' in 1980 by

María Elena Galiano María Elena Galiano (1928 – October 30, 2000) was an Argentine arachnologist. She was one of the leading taxonomists of Neotropical jumping spiders. Galiano worked at the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum in Buenos Aires. She di ...

. Galiano stated that the

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

of ''Amerotritte lineata'' was actually a very young ''Zygoballus'' specimen. ''Zygoballus'' is currently classified in the subtribe Dendryphantina of the family

Salticidae 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 ...

(jumping spiders).

Description

Spiders of the genus ''Zygoballus'' share a strong resemblance in appearance. The cephalothorax is high and roughly square when viewed from above. It is widest at the posterior eyes, with the ocular quadrangle occupying approximately three-fifths of the cephalothorax. The cephalothorax slopes steeply behind the posterior eyes and the sides of the cephalothorax are nearly vertical. The labium is as long or longer than it is wide. The anterior (first) pair of legs are the largest, with three pairs of spines on the ventral surface of the tibia. Males have obliquely oriented chelicerae with long fangs. Many species exhibit wide variation in color, size, and markings.

Distribution

''Zygoballus'' is a genus from the

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

, ranging from

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Three species from

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 ...

were originally placed in ''Zygoballus'', but have been reassigned to other genera.

Species

, the

World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...

accepted the species listed below. One species, ''Z. quaternus'', was previously recognized (prior to 2008), but is now considered a ''

nomen dubium In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium,'' it may be impossible to determine whether a ...

''. Several other species are known only from single specimens. In addition to the species listed below, a 2001 phylogenetic analysis suggested that ''

Rhetenor texanus ''Rhetenor texanus'' is a species of jumping spider. It has been found in Texas and Veracruz, Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders ...

'' may also belong in ''Zygoballus'', but this has not been accepted by the World Spider Catalog. * '' Zygoballus amrishi'' Makhan, 2005 —

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

* '' Zygoballus aschnae'' Makhan, 2005 — Suriname * '' Zygoballus concolor'' Bryant, 1940 —

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

* '' Zygoballus electus'' Chickering, 1946 —

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

* '' Zygoballus gracilipes'' Crane, 1945 —

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

* '' Zygoballus incertus'' (

Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. As banks ...

, 1929) — Panama * '' Zygoballus iridescens'' Banks, 1895 —

USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

* '' Zygoballus lineatus'' ( Mello-Leitão, 1944) — Argentina * '' Zygoballus maculatipes'' Petrunkevitch, 1925 — Panama * '' Zygoballus maculatus'' F. O. P-Cambridge, 1901 —

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

* '' Zygoballus melloleitaoi'' Galiano, 1980 — Argentina * '' Zygoballus minutus'' Peckham & Peckham, 1896 — Guatemala * '' Zygoballus nervosus'' (Peckham & Peckham, 1888) — USA,

* '' Zygoballus optatus'' Chickering, 1946 — Panama * '' Zygoballus remotus'' Peckham & Peckham, 1896 — Guatemala * '' Zygoballus rishwani'' Makhan, 2005 — Suriname * ''

'' Peckham & Peckham, 1885 — Canada to

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

* '' Zygoballus sexpunctatus'' ( Hentz, 1845) — USA * '' Zygoballus suavis'' Peckham & Peckham, 1895 —

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

* '' Zygoballus tibialis'' F. O. P.-Cambridge, 1901 — Guatemala to Panama

References

External links

''Zygoballus''
at Bugguide.net

at Salticidae: Diagnostic Drawings Library {{Taxonbar, from=Q18454 Salticidae Salticidae genera Spiders of North America Spiders of South America