Gemstones of grasslands

Animals can perform courtship displays, mainly birds like our Indian peacock is a great example of how mesmerizing it can get. Not just birds, there are more dancers in our grasslands, like the fan-throated lizard, which performs courtship with colors on its throat that extend like a fan.

I was trying to capture such behavior behind my home during lockdown, where I was waiting for lizards to appear out of rocks, something catchy grabbed my attention. Initially, I thought I found a peacock spider but learned it was a Stenaelurillus species.

Salticidae rely on visual communication, some have developed retinal capacities to perceive colors. As we have seen about eyes and color properties already in “Beyond webs” let’s explore some dancers in the spider club, who can perform courtship display. Though many species mating behavior doesn’t involve courtship displays, males often take a cautious, step-by-step approach towards females because of the potential to end the male's life before it starts one.

Stenaelurillus is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1886. This ground-dwelling spider is usually seen in grasslands and rocky hilly places. They have evolved vibrant hues and unique movements to create their own rhythm of vibrations to capture female attention. Out of the twenty one species recorded in our country and more to be described, it can be divided into two groups: one with black and white markings which consists of eleven species similar to the below images.

Within the nine species in the color group, I would distinguish them into two groups: one with mixed patterns of color on the abdomen, species like Stenaelurillus tamravarni consist of five species such as Stenaelurillus metallicus, Stenaelurillus naldurg, Stenaelurillus sarojinae and Stenaelurillus vyaghri.

The courtship display involves lifting the abdomen like a peacock and waving the pedipalps simultaneously, while moving rapidly across the female to hold her attention. While trekking on a hill I came across this species performing its display right at the edge. It doesn’t matter where or on what the show must go on.

This could be the sixth species on the list which I have encountered this year that has not yet been officially recorded or documented.

This species blends perfectly with its surroundings, with a coloration that looks like rich soil combing the hues with earthly touch all over.

Other than that group this are some species which has vibrant iridescent colors on them, like the most widespread species Stenaelurillus lesserti. They have line of iridescent colors like rainbow under the eyes, a place called as clypeus which they reveal wide open during courtship display.

This display involves only the movement of forelegs and folding the pedipalps to showcase full array of colors. The geographical variation of S.lesserti has more colors over the head but similar in display, found on foothills which may possibly evolved to increase the visibility in elevated terrains.

Capturing this moment was quite challenging, since I was at the early stage of macro photography journey and only had a macro extension tube for my DSLR and relying entirely on natural light. It took me over a week of lying around in dirt, thorn beds of grassland and lot of hours spent observing before getting this shot.

Similar to S.lesserti the courtship display of Stenaelurillus judithbleisterae is identical, found in the western ghats with quite vibrant colors like starry night skies on the head.

In this frame, the rest of the body blends in with the dry leaf surroundings while the head stands out capturing the attention of the female which was in an elevated position.

Contrary to the last story this was the easiest shoot. I went up the hill, stood in a random spot, and looked down to find this spider. After assembling my macro gear and pointing the camera over him, he immediately started dancing.

The third species which I observed has not been recorded yet, mostly seen co-existing around S.lesserti unlike other species this one has iridescent bluish-purple on abdomen which looks like glittering stone under sunlight.

This species courtship display is showing its abdomen like a peacock along with forelegs movement.

However, even the grass could be an obstacle for a clear view so instead of taking chances at higher grounds he uses his pedipalp to make a rhythmic vibration to grab her attention which I haven’t observed in other species.

And last but not least the strangest species is Stenaelurillus megamalai which has iridescent colors, markings on abdomen and colors strangely featured underside abdomen.

During display first he opens forelegs wide open with wave movements like S.lesserti to lure attention of female.

and then either like S.tamravarni lifts his abdomen to show patterns but within a split second.

or lifts overall body higher to display the colors underside the abdomen more like Rudra tandava but with two legs on ground.

This happens in split seconds and can’t predict which signature move he is going to display making it challenging to capture Just mixing displays of species like lesserti, tamravarni and adding his own unique signature move tandavam which none of the spider has done I would name him Rudra personally.

( published a research paper on Peckhamia. You can find it available on the 'About' page. )

Across a span of hundred kilometers, the Stenaelurillus genus of jumping spider has adapted to diverse habitats, displaying its distinctive dance moves and vibrant colors.

India has almost ninteen species described where there might be more species that could easily exist around the corners of every landscape. But I have recorded almost ten species within Tamilnadu borders where this tenth species i discovered has unqiue appearance compared to every other indian species. This has reddish clypeus with white border line underneath. And patterns around the abdomen has special white and golden shimmering combination kind of royal. I would peronsonally name him as Stenaelurillus aureoclypeatus (aureus = golden ; clypeus = shield)

What appears in our eyes to be a simple grassland can hold hidden treasures like these one-of-a-kind spiders. Before they brick the ecosystem into buildings, take a moment to wander and discover the precious gems of the grasslands.