The linkway near the AYE bus stop

Date: 15th Feb 08
Group: Matthew Lim and me
Equipment(s): a book (A Guide to Common Singapore Spiders), camera (Nikon Coolpix from Mr Siva)

List of spiders identified:

Family: Araneidae (Orb web-Spiders)
1. Cyclosa sp., juvenile, on the hedge along the linkway.
Cannot really identify the species due to its size, distinguished via the spiral pattern on web.
Likes to pretend to be one of the debris (insect carcasses) on the web
2. Araneus mitificus (Kidney Garden Spider), 3 spotted, on the hedge.
Identified by the green underparts and a black and white pattern on the upperpart of abdomen.
Likes to built a retreat on curled up leaf.
3. Gasteracantha kuhli (Black and white Spiney Spider), 2 spotted on the hedge.

Family: Salticidae (Jumping Spider)
4. Plexippus petersi (Common Housefly Catcher), 1 juvenile, 1 female and 1 male, along the linkway hidden in the pillar crevices.
Identified easily by the 2 pairs of false eyes on the abdomen.
5.Viciria praemandibularis (Wide Jaw Viciria), 1 female, 1 male on the hedge.
6.Cosmophasis sp. (not found in the book)
A genus which Matthew worked on, with some iridescent colouration on its back.
7. An ant look-alike spider found in crevice on the pillar of the linkway.
Suspected to be from the Myrmarachne spiders (Ant-mimicking Spiders).
Picture not uploaded yet.

Family: Lycosidae (Wolf Spiders)
8: Hippasa Holmerae (Lawn Wolf Spider), many on the slope adjacent to the soccer field near the linkway.
Possible follow-up: do a 1m by 1m survey.

Many thanks to Matthew Lim for firstly lending me the guidebook to start off with, and generously agreeing to come along for this enlightening trip to the neighbouring bus stop.
Matthew Lim Lek Min is currently a Research Assistant to Navjot Sodhi of the Conservation Ecology Lab, and an instructor in NUS, Faculty of Science, teaching Animal Behaviour, Ecology & Environmental Processes and Behavioural Biology.

Reference:
Joseph K H Koh, A Guide to Common Singapore Spiders,1989.