Diagnoses of genera of South East Asia: Cryptic salticids, mottled brown or grey, stealthy and not seen to jump. on tree trunks and mossy rocks in rainforest. General remarks: Salticids in this group tend to be very cryptic and live in rainforest habitats although some specimens have been collected in gardens near rainforest. Genus: Cocalus . See Koh, p. 121. Specimens of Cocalus are rare. At present there appear to be four species and few specimens in museum collections. Two species, C. murinus and C. concolor, occur in our area. The cephalothorax of C. murinus is quite high. Mid-way between the eyes of the second and third rows there is a low but noticeable bump which is characteristic of the genus. From the rear eyes the plane of the cephalus slopes gradually to the front whilst the thorax, initially, slopes gradually and then quite steeply to the posterior edge. In plan, except for being briefly flared near the front eyes, the rest of the carapace is a regular oval. The abdomen is an elongate oval that tapers smoothly to the spinnerets. The legs are moderately long and robust and with numerous strong spines. According to Koh, 1989, the overall colour of the spider is grey which is consistent with its specific latin name, murinus - mouse coloured. Distribution: Cocalus is known from Singapore, Bintan, Sumatra, Amboina and Australia. Murphy & Murphy 2000: 331. By courtesy of the Authors' and the Malaysian Nature Society.
Copyright © for the page by J. Proszynski, 2000.