Ant-mimicking spider

Fact Box Species: Damoetas nitidus (QM) (or a closely related species) Family: Salticidae Body length: female: about 5 mm male: about 4.5 mm Habitat: This species will most often be found by shaking green shrubs, especially when they are in flower, since it likes to ambush foraging ants Toxicity: This species is not aggressive towards humans and is probably too small to induce systemic illness though it may cause local inflammation

Side view Underside of spider A juvenile male? Front view

Among the distinguishing features of this species are that it has the general shape of an ant but lacks a helmet-like head region and a body visibly divided into three segments, these being characteristics of the more common ant mimic salticid, Myrmarachne species. The very dark body colour with two pairs of white abdominal cross-bands (at least on the male) is also distinctive.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: None.