#simaetha

Meet Irura bidenticulata, a spectacular, purple-and-gold jumping spider.

Look at that purple sheen!!

It’s a pretty small spider, at around 6mm long. This species was once thought to belong in the genus Simaetha, and in an 2011 paper finally describing the spider, it was found that it belonged in the genus Irura, and thus Irura bidenticulata.

They seem to be found in Southeast Asia and Southeastern China, but never seem to be common anywhere, except, for this little paradise known as Hong Kong. From April to May, I got to meet these little beauties many times on Hong Kong Island.

Curious enough, all of these that I found happen to be males. Females tend to be gold and black, and fluffy pedipalps. I was hoping to breed them someday, but I never got to find a female.

When June came along, I was actually quite sad to no longer find them. They are my absolute favourite arachnids and I doubt much could top them.

simaetha sp

My blood flames, with the golden joy thou art

Bewildering me, until thy loveliness

Is veiled in its own light; nor know I then

Pure brows, and placid lips and eyes, and hair

With wind and sunlight glorious: but all

Are mingled in one flame. Oh thou in me

Art shrined, as none hath seen thee, as gods live

Whom Time shall not consume; nor rusts thy gold

Ever, so hath my soul enclosed thee round

With its divine air. Yea, thy very life,

Which flows through all the guises of thy moods,

Escaping as they die, and laughs and weeps

And builds again its beauty, have I set

Beyond the jeopards of rough time: yea, all

Thine ivory, imperilled loveliness,

And winey sanguine, where the cheek’s curve takes

Light as a bloom upon it, not to pass,

So there be God.

Thy praise hath made speech song:

And song from lip to lip flies, and black ships

Bear it from sea to sea; and on some quay

Where rise tall masts, and gay booths flank the ways

A tumbler sings it; and an alien air

Trembles with thee, while strange men wonder, dumb,

To see thee pass: thou being all my song.