Lapsias lorax

Lapsias lorax is a species of lapsiine jumping spider from Ecuador.

Lapsias lorax
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Genus: Lapsias
Species:
L. lorax
Binomial name
Lapsias lorax
Maddison, 2012[1][2]

L. lorax was discovered by Wayne Maddison in November 2010 in the Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve of Ecuador, in a cloud forest at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) of elevation. It is the first species of the genus Lapsias to be discovered in western South America.[3]

The spider discovered by Maddison—an adult male—is the only known specimen of the species.[4] It is about 5 millimetres (0.20 in) in length, and its body is reddish brown in colour. Its face has a big white band across it, and its jaws have diagonal yellow stripes.

From May to August 2011 the Beaty Biodiversity Museum in Vancouver, British Columbia, of which Maddison is the scientific director, held a contest to name the spider.[3] 810 names were submitted, and lorax was ultimately chosen, submitted by Tristan Long, a professor from Wilfrid Laurier University. The name is a reference to the character of the Lorax from Dr. Seuss's book The Lorax, due to its yellow moustache which resembles the stripes on the spider's jaws.[5] As well, The Lorax's environmental message was seen to be appropriate; Maddison commented that "not only is there a resemblance, but it really fits the museum's message."[6]

References
  1. "Taxon details Lapsias lorax Maddison, 2012", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2017-02-26
  2. Maddison, Wayne P. (15 August 2012). "Five new species of lapsiine jumping spiders from Ecuador (Araneae: Salticidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3424: 51–65. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3424.1.3. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  3. "Name a Spider with the Beaty Museum!". Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  4. "UBC announces "Name a Spider" contest winner to mark first anniversary of Beaty Biodiversity Museum". University of British Columbia. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  5. Maddison, Wayne. "Name a Spider Contest Winner Announced". Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  6. Isbrucker, Asher (15 November 2011). "Our Campus: Wayne Maddison". The Ubyssey. Retrieved 28 February 2012.


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