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Platythomisus octomaculatus (C. L. Koch, 1845)
| Family Name: | Thomisidae |
| Taxonomic Group: | Invertebrates (Spider) |
| Common Name: | Eight-spotted Crab Spider |
Name
Ecology, Habitat & Location
| Ecological Notes | This species apparently lives among foliage of small trees. |
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| Habitats | Forest, Terrestrial |
| Distribution | This species was first described from Padang in Sumatra. Two specimens were recorded in Singapore in 1924, one was found in “Tanah Merah” and the other in a retreat formed by three fastened leaves of a Melastoma bush at the western edges of the “Mandai Forest Reserve”. The specimen pictured here was photographed in an abandoned rubber estate on Pulau Ubin in 1990. Since then, the specimen has been found only sporadically, in Bulim, and other parts of Singapore. |
| Nature Areas | Pulau Ubin |
Conservation
| Trends & Threats | In Singapore, this is a rare species that may be further threatened through habitation disturbance and destruction. |
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| Scientific Interest & Potential Value | This is probably among the largest of all thomisids. |
| Conservation Notes | The continued maintenance of the Nature Reserves, management of parts of Pulau Ubin for conservation, and designation of Nature Areas under the Singapore development master plan should assist in conservation of the species. |
Status
| Singapore Red Data Book Status | Endangered (EN) [2008] |
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Photos
References
| References | Davison, G.W.H., Ng, P.K.L. & Ho, H.C (Eds.). 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book (2nd Edition). Singapore: Nature Society (Singapore). 285pp |
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