Phintella parva (Korean: 묘향깡충거 미, lit. 'Myo-hyang-kkang-chung-geo-mi') is a species of jumping spider in the genus Phintella that lives in China, Japan, Korea and Russia.The species was first described by Wanda Wesołowska in 1981 based on a holotype from North Korea. However, retrospectively; it was recognised that other examples of the spider had been previously collected and, at one time, a description published without a species name. The spider is small, between 3.5 and 4 mm (0.14 and 0.16 in) long, and yellow. The abdomen has a striped pattern and the carapace has circular markings, but the most distinguishing difference between this species and other members of the genus are the sexual organs, particularly the short curved embolus on the male and long straight insemination ducts in the female.
In 1981, Wanda Wesołowska described a new species of jumping spider, which she named Icius parvus, one of over 500 species identified by the Polish arachnologist over her career.[1][2] The species name is the Latin for small. The species was originally ascribed to the genus Icius, first described by Eugène Simon in 1876, but was transferred to Phintella in 1983 by Jerzy Prószyński.[1] The genus Phintella was raised in 1906 by Embrik Strand and W. Bösenberg.[3] The genus name derives from the genus Phintia, which it resembles.[4] The genus Phintia was itself renamed Phintodes, which was subsequently absorbed into Tylogonus.[5] Other synonyms for the spider include Icius linea and Icius abnomis.[6]
There are similarities between spiders within genus Phintella and those in Chira, Chrysilla, Euophrys, Icius, Jotus and Telamonia.[7] Genetic analysis confirms that it is related to the genera Helvetia and Menemerus and is classified in the tribe Chrysillini, named after the genus Chrysilla.[8][9] In 2017, the genus was grouped with 32 other genera of jumping spiders under the name Chrysillines in the supergroup Chrysilloida.[10] After being transferred to the new genus, the gender of the species name was changed, from parvus to parva.[11] Cluster analysis confirms that the species is most closely related to the Phintella cava/eriei, and then Phintella bifurcilinea.[12]
Phintella parva is a small spider. The female is larger than the male, with a total length of between 4 and 5 mm (0.16 and 0.20 in).[13] It has a cephalothorax that has a length of between 1.78 and 2.05 mm (0.070 and 0.081 in) and a width of between 1.28 and 1.55 mm (0.050 and 0.061 in), and an abdomen that is between 2.98 and 3.08 mm (0.117 and 0.121 in) long and 1.8 and 2.18 mm (0.071 and 0.086 in) wide.[14] The spider has a carapace that is longer than it is wide, shaped like a quadrangle.[13] It is a yellow with circular markings to towards the back. The eye field is black. The abdomen is also yellow and has two broad stripes running down it and along the sides. Four or five chevrons can often be seen at the very back. There is another stripe on the underside.[11][14] The chelicerae and area around the mouth is yellow with brown lines around the sides. The [[Arthropod leg|legs are yellow, as are the spinnerets. The epigyne has a pocket and has long straight insemination ducts that lead to spherical spermathecae.[14]
The male is similar to the female. It is slightly smaller with a total length of between 3.78 and 4.67 mm (0.149 and 0.184 in).[15] The cephalothorax is between 1.73 and 1.9 mm (0.068 and 0.075 in) long and between 1.25 and 1.38 mm (0.049 and 0.054 in) wide, and the abdomen between 1.83 and 2 mm (0.072 and 0.079 in) long and 1.05 and 1.2 mm (0.041 and 0.047 in) wide. The carapace has similar colouring, but less pale. It has a short curved embolus and straight appendages that form part of the pedipalp.[14]
Phintella parva is often confused with other species of the genus. Particularly, it closely resembles the related Phintella popovi, differing in the shape of the sexual organs. The first example in Japan was originally thought to be Phintella mellotei while the male has been misnamed Phintella difficilis. The curved embolus and length of the insemination ducts enable the species to be identified.[14]
Phintella parva is known as 묘향깡충거 미 (Myo-hyang-kkang-chung-geo-mi) in Korea.[13]
The holotype for the species was discovered in the valleys around Mount Myohyang, North Korea, by Bohdan Pisarski and Jerzy Prószyński in 1959. Female specimens were also seen near to the city of Pyongyang and in the South Hamgyong Province. They were not described and named until 1981.[16][17] Subsequently, examples have been found throughout the country. The first recorded siting in Haeju was in 1987, followed by Chongjin, Hongwon County, Kaesong and Kyongsong County in 1990. The spider was also found in the areas around Mount Myohyang and Mount Kumgang at the same time.[18] South Korea was later added to the species distribution, with examples being identified in Sobaeksan and area around Palgongsan in the North Gyeongsang Province, the first to be found dating from 1964.[11]
Subsequent identifications have shown that the species also lives outside the Korean peninsula. Wesołowska also identified that it had been found in Primorsky Krai, in what is now Russia, and described in 1979, but had not been given a species name.[17] It was later seen that the spider was also to live on Furugelm Island.[19] The first example in China was identified in Shanxi.[20] The species was subsequently found in many other areas of the country, including Beijing, Gansu, Hebei and Henan.[21][22] Hebei is a particularly rich area for the species. Finds include 19 examples collected from Zhuolu County in 2004 and Yu County in 2006.[15] The spider has also been observed in the Mie Prefecture of Honshu, Japan, which extended its range still further.[14][23]
The spider seems to thrive in diverse environments, including the environs of Tianchi Mountain, Song County, Luoyang, the city of Linzhou, rural areas in Neixiang County and pine woods of Khabarovsk Krai.[21][14]
Phintella parva (Korean: 묘향깡충거 미, lit. 'Myo-hyang-kkang-chung-geo-mi') is a species of jumping spider in the genus Phintella that lives in China, Japan, Korea and Russia.The species was first described by Wanda Wesołowska in 1981 based on a holotype from North Korea. However, retrospectively; it was recognised that other examples of the spider had been previously collected and, at one time, a description published without a species name. The spider is small, between 3.5 and 4 mm (0.14 and 0.16 in) long, and yellow. The abdomen has a striped pattern and the carapace has circular markings, but the most distinguishing difference between this species and other members of the genus are the sexual organs, particularly the short curved embolus on the male and long straight insemination ducts in the female.
