Bianor is a genus of boreal jumping spiders that can grow to . The robust shiny body and northerly distribution are distinctive. Males can be easily recognized by his swollen forelegs and females have orange legs. It was first described by George and Elizabeth Peckham in 1886, who presumably named it after the mythical character Bianor (=Ocnus).
Distribution Bianor is a mainly Asian genus. Some species are found in Africa and Oceania, with two species endemic to Brazil.
Life style These are free-living plant-dwellers. Specimens were sampled at ground level at the base of plants but also from tall trees.
Description Bianor are small to medium-sized spiders ranging from 2 to 7 mm. The colour and patterns vary between species.
Typically, the carapace is dark brown with some white hairs on the posterior and lateral surfaces. The abdomen is light brown and sometimes bears two or three pairs of large circular tufts of light-coloured hairs. The carapace is moderately high, flat on top, with the thorax sloping steadily towards the posterior margin and with very steep sides. It is a little longer than wide, with rounded sides, equally contracted before and behind, high and convex, not wider than the dorsal row of eyes. The abdomen is oval, not as wide as the carapace, and slightly pointed at the rear.
The legs are sturdy and not particularly long, with all about the same length. The femora, patellae and tibiae of legs I are swollen and much more robust than all the other segments. There are ventral spines on tibiae I and metatarsi I and a few more elsewhere.
Taxonomy The genus was revised by Logunov in 2001, during which the new genus Sibianor was erected.
Species
, this genus includes 27 species:
Bianor albobimaculatus (Lucas, 1846) – Africa, Mediterranean to Russia (Europe), Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal Bianor angulosus (Karsch, 1879) – India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia Bianor balius Thorell, 1890 – India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, China, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kiribati (Caroline Is.) Bianor biguttatus Wesołowska & van Harten, 2002 – Yemen (Socotra) Bianor biocellosus Simon, 1902 – Brazil Bianor compactus (Urquhart, 1885) – New Zealand Bianor concolor (Keyserling, 1882) – Australia (New South Wales) Bianor diversipes Simon, 1901 – Malaysia (peninsula) Bianor eximius Wesołowska & Haddad, 2009 – Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa Bianor fasciatus Mello-Leitão, 1922 – Brazil Bianor hongkong Song, Xie, Zhu & Wu, 1997 – China Bianor kovaczi Logunov, 2001 – Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Botswana Bianor maculatus (Keyserling, 1883) – Australia, New Zealand (type species) Bianor monster Żabka, 1985 – Vietnam Bianor murphyi Logunov, 2001 – Kenya Bianor narmadaensis (Tikader, 1975) – India, Bangladesh Bianor nexilis Jastrzebski, 2007 – Bhutan Bianor pashanensis (Tikader, 1975) – India, Bangladesh Bianor paulyi Logunov, 2009 – Madagascar, Comoros Bianor pseudomaculatus Logunov, 2001 – India, Bhutan, Cambodia, Vietnam Bianor punjabicus Logunov, 2001 – Afghanistan, Pakistan, India Bianor quadrimaculatus (Lawrence, 1927) – Angola Bianor senegalensis Logunov, 2001 – Senegal Bianor simplex (Blackwall, 1865) – Cape Verde Bianor tortus Jastrzebski, 2007 – India, Nepal Bianor vitiensis Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1996 – Fiji Bianor wunderlichi Logunov, 2001 – Canary Islands, Azores
References
Further reading Logunov, D.V. (2001): A redefinition of the genera Bianor Peckham & Peckham, 1885 and Harmochirus Simon, 1885, with the establishment of a new genus Sibianor gen. n. (Araneae: Salticidae). Arthropoda Selecta 9(4): 221-286.
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