Cyrba Simon, 1876

Taxonomy Cyrba is a sub-Saharan African with two species now found from Africa to Asia. One of these, Cyrba ocellata, has reached Australia. Other genera of this Old World group that have Australian representatives include Cocalus, Mintonia and Portia (Maddison 2015). Further information on the genus and described species can be found in Richardson and Żabka (2017). Description Cyrba is a small to medium-sized , ranging in body length from 3 to 6 mm. The Examples of live Cyrba cephalothorax is high in profile and, when viewed from above, rectangular with curved sides. Illustrator (and ©) I.R. Macaulay The abdomen is ovate. The chelicerae are long with three promarginal and four retromarginal (plurident) teeth. The legs are slender and of approximately equal length. The male palp has a slender embolus rising from the distal/lateral edge of a rounded tegulum and extending half a turn clockwise around the tegulum. The retro-lateral tibial apophysis is short and slender. Females have a single epigynal atrium close to the epigastric fold. The insemination ducts cannot be seen externally. The spermathecae lie on each side of the atrium and a crook-shaped Aspects of the general morphology of Cyrba extension leading to the fertilization ducts can be seen anterior to the spermathecae. Illustrators (and ©) B.J. Richardson (CSIRO), M. Zabka (diag.) (QMB) Biology Cyrba has been found on bushes and grasses. Distribution In Australia, Cyrba is known from only a few specimens from northern Australia and one doubtful record from southwestern Tasmania. References Davies, V.T. & Żabka, M. 1989. Illustrated keys to the genera of jumping (Araneae: Salticidae) in Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 27, 189-266. Maddison, W.P. 2015. A phylogenetic classification of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Palp morphology of Cyrba Illustrators (and ©) B.J. Richardson (CSIRO), Journal of Arachnology 43, 231-292. M. Zabka (diag.) (QMB) Richardson, B.J. & Żabka, M. 2017. Salticidae. Arachnida: . Canberra, Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, at https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/SALTICIDAE. Wanless, F.R. 1984. A revision of the spider genus Cyrba (Araneae: Salticidae) with the description of a new presumptive pheromone dispersing organ. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology 47, 445-481. * The information sheet should be interpreted in the context of the associated diagrams and photographs. Diagrams explaining anatomical terms can be found in the ‘Salticidae’ pictures at the beginning of the list of genera. Epigyne morphology of Cyrba Illustrators (and ©) B.J. Richardson (CSIRO), M. Zabka (diag,) (QMB)