Jacksonoides kochi

Fact Box Species: Jacksonoides kochi (see below) Family: Salticidae Body length: female: 5 mm male: 4 mm Habitat: On green leaves in rainforests Toxicity: May cause local inflammation

While there is no question that the spider in the above photo has the Jacksonoides generic name its species name is tentative. The original description and drawings included in a paper by F.R. Wanless fit J. kochi well but at least two other North Queensland species, J. queenslandicus and J. distinctus, are very similar in appearance and are best separated by a comparision of their genitalia. J. kochi seems to be the most common species in that it is the one discovered and described by most arachnologists in the past. However, several other North Queensland species were also described by Wanless in his 1988 paper and in 2016 Zabka and Patoleta (New Zealand Journal of Zoology, Volume 43, pages 10-41) announced an additional group of Jacksonoides species, apparently all present in North Queensland habitats.

Known range: Only recorded in localities from Cairns to Innisfail.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Several other salticid species with a similar body shape.