Evarcha

Evarcha is a genus of spiders in the family Salticidae (jumping spiders) with 85 species (and one recognized subspecies) distributed across the world.

Habitat

These spiders are often found on shrubs and short plants in damp areas, resting in silken cells.

Description

Spiders in this genus generally look rather sturdy and are not very colorful, often brownish.

Evarcha culicivora can be an uncommon predator due to the fact it feeds on vertebrate blood by choosing blood-carrying mosquitoes as well-liked prey.

Distribution

Most species occur in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe, with E. amabilis and E. hoyi found only in the United States. E. proszynskii is found from Russia to Japan and Canada to United States.

Species

, this genus includes 98 species and one subspecies:

• Evarcha acuta <small>Wesołowska, 2006</small> – Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles
• Evarcha aegyptiaca <small>(Prószyński, 2018)</small> – Egypt
• Evarcha alba <small>(G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1903)</small> – Zimbabwe, South Africa
• Evarcha albaria <small>(L. Koch, 1878)</small> – Russia (Far East), China, Korea, Japan
• Evarcha albofacialis <small>Wesołowska & Henrard, 2025</small> – Guinea
• Evarcha amabilis <small>(C. L. Koch, 1846)</small> – United States
• Evarcha amanzi <small>Wesołowska & , 2018</small> – South Africa
• Evarcha ampulla <small>Wesołowska & Henrard, 2025</small> – Guinea
• Evarcha annae <small>(G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1903)</small> – South Africa
• Evarcha aposto <small>Wesołowska & Tomasiewicz, 2008</small> – Nigeria, Ethiopia
• Evarcha arabica <small>Wesołowska & van Harten, 2007</small> – Yemen
• Evarcha arcuata <small>(Clerck, 1757)</small> – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, China, Japan
• Evarcha armeniaca <small>, 1999</small> – Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan
• Evarcha awashi <small>Wesołowska & Tomasiewicz, 2008</small> – Ethiopia
• Evarcha bakorensis <small>Rollard & Wesołowska, 2002</small> – Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria
• Evarcha besar <small>(Prószyński, 2018)</small> – Malaysia (Borneo)
• Evarcha bicoronata <small>(Simon, 1901)</small> – China (Hong Kong)
• Evarcha bihastata <small>Wesołowska & , 2000</small> – Tanzania
• Evarcha brinki <small>Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011</small> – South Africa
• Evarcha bulbosa <small>Å»abka, 1985</small> – China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
• Evarcha carbonaria <small>(Lessert, 1927)</small> – DR Congo
• Evarcha certa <small>Rollard & Wesołowska, 2002</small> – Guinea, Ethiopia
• Evarcha chappuisi <small>Lessert, 1925</small> – Kenya, Tanzania
• Evarcha chiayiensis <small>Chen, Lin & Ueng, 2021</small> – Taiwan
• Evarcha chubbi <small>Lessert, 1925</small> – Tanzania
• Evarcha coreana <small>Seo, 1988</small> – China, Korea
• Evarcha crinita <small>Logunov & Zamanpoore, 2005</small> – Afghanistan
• Evarcha culicivora <small>Wesołowska & Jackson, 2003</small> – Uganda, Kenya
• Evarcha damongo <small>Wawer & Wesołowska, 2025</small> – Ghana
• Evarcha darinurica <small>Logunov, 2001</small> – Afghanistan
• Evarcha darthvaderi <small>Yu & Zhang, 2024</small> – China
• Evarcha degeni <small>Wiśniewski & Wesołowska, 2024</small> – Uganda
• Evarcha dena <small>Zamani, 2017</small> – Iran
• Evarcha denticulata <small>Wesołowska & Haddad, 2013</small> – South Africa
• Evarcha difficilis <small>Wesołowska & Henrard, 2025</small> – Guinea
• Evarcha dubia <small>(Kulczyński, 1901)</small> – Ethiopia
• Evarcha eriki <small>Wunderlich, 1987</small> – Canary Islands
• Evarcha falcata <small>(Clerck, 1757)</small> – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, China (type species)
• E. f. xinglongensis <small>Yang & Tang, 1996</small> – China
• Evarcha fasciata <small>Seo, 1992</small> – China, Korea, Japan
• Evarcha flagellaris <small>Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011</small> – Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa
• Evarcha flavocincta <small>(C. L. Koch, 1846)</small> – India, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia (Bintang Is.)
• Evarcha gausapata <small>(Thorell, 1890)</small> – Indonesia (Sumatra, Java)
• Evarcha hoyi <small>(G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1883)</small> – Canada, United States
• Evarcha hyllinella <small>Strand, 1913</small> – Indonesia (Lombok)
• Evarcha idanrensis <small>Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2011</small> – Nigeria
• Evarcha ignea <small>Wesołowska & Cumming, 2008</small> – Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa
• Evarcha improcera <small>Wesołowska & van Harten, 2007</small> – Yemen
• Evarcha infrastriata <small>(Keyserling, 1881)</small> – Australia (Queensland)
• Evarcha insularis <small>(Metzner, 1999)</small> – Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Iraq, Iran
• Evarcha jucunda <small>(Lucas, 1846)</small> – Canary Islands, Mediterranean. Introduced to Belgium, Germany
• Evarcha karas <small>Wesołowska, 2011</small> – Namibia, South Africa
• Evarcha kirghisica <small>Rakov, 1997</small> – Kyrgyzstan
• Evarcha kochi <small>Simon, 1902</small> – Indonesia (Java, Lombok)
• Evarcha kpongensis <small>Wawer & Wesołowska, 2025</small> – Ghana
• Evarcha laetabunda <small>(C. L. Koch, 1846)</small> – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, China
• Evarcha lata <small>Kanesharatnam & Benjamin, 2021</small> – Sri Lanka
• Evarcha longula <small>(Thorell, 1881)</small> – New Guinea, Australia
• Evarcha maculata <small>Rollard & Wesołowska, 2002</small> – Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia
• Evarcha madagascariensis <small>Prószyński, 1992</small> – Madagascar
• Evarcha magna <small>Wesołowska & Henrard, 2025</small> – Guinea
• Evarcha michailovi <small>Logunov, 1992</small> – Europe, Turkey, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China
• Evarcha mirabilis <small>Wesołowska & Haddad, 2009</small> – South Africa
• Evarcha mongolica <small>Danilov & Logunov, 1994</small> – Russia (South Siberia), China
• Evarcha negevensis <small>Prószyński, 2000</small> – Israel, Iran
• Evarcha nenilini <small>Rakov, 1997</small> – Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
• Evarcha nepos <small>(O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)</small> – Algeria, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel
• Evarcha nigricans <small>(Dalmas, 1920)</small> – Tunisia
• Evarcha nigrifrons <small>(C. L. Koch, 1846)</small> – Indonesia (Sumatra)
• Evarcha obscura <small>Caporiacco, 1947</small> – East Africa
• Evarcha patagiata <small>(O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)</small> – Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Syria
• Evarcha picta <small>Wesołowska & van Harten, 2007</small> – Yemen
• Evarcha pileckii <small>Prószyński, 2000</small> – Syria, Israel
• Evarcha pinguis <small>Wesołowska & Tomasiewicz, 2008</small> – Ethiopia
• Evarcha praeclara <small>Prószyński & Wesołowska, 2003</small> – Sudan, Israel, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Iran
• Evarcha prosimilis <small>Wesołowska & Cumming, 2008</small> – Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa
• Evarcha proszynskii <small>Marusik & Logunov, 1998</small> – Kazakhstan, Russia (Middle Siberia to Far East), China, Korea, Japan, Alaska, Canada, United States
• Evarcha pseudopococki <small>Peng, Xie & Kim, 1993</small> – China
• Evarcha pulchella <small>(Thorell, 1895)</small> – Pakistan, India, Myanmar
• Evarcha reiskindi <small>Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1996</small> – Caroline Is.
• Evarcha rotundibulbis <small>Wesołowska & Tomasiewicz, 2008</small> – Ethiopia, Mozambique
• Evarcha russellsmithi <small>Wesołowska & Tomasiewicz, 2008</small> – Ethiopia
• Evarcha selenaria <small>Suguro & Yahata, 2012</small> – Japan
• Evarcha seyun <small>Wesołowska & van Harten, 2007</small> – Yemen, United Arab Emirates
• Evarcha similis <small>Caporiacco, 1941</small> – Ethiopia
• Evarcha soricina <small>(Thorell, 1899)</small> – Cameroon, Mozambique
• Evarcha squamulata <small>(Simon, 1902)</small> – Sierra Leone
• Evarcha striolata <small>Wesołowska & Haddad, 2009</small> – South Africa
• Evarcha syriaca <small>Kulczyński, 1911</small> – Syria, Israel
• Evarcha tsipikafotsy <small>Murray, Escobar-Toledo & Pett, 2024</small> – Madagascar
• Evarcha vavannyangisy <small>Murray, Escobar-Toledo & Pett, 2024</small> – Madagascar
• Evarcha villosa <small>Wesołowska & Haddad, 2018</small> – South Africa
• Evarcha vitosa <small>Próchniewicz, 1989</small> – Central, East Africa
• Evarcha vittula <small>Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011</small> – South Africa
• Evarcha werneri <small>(Simon, 1906)</small> – Guinea, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa
• Evarcha wulingensis <small>Peng, Xie & Kim, 1993</small> – China
• Evarcha zayu <small>Wang, Mi & Li, 2024</small> – China
• Evarcha zimbabwensis <small>Wesołowska & Cumming, 2008</small> – Zimbabwe, South Africa
• Evarcha zougoussi <small>Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2022</small> – Ivory Coast

References

Further reading

• Fiona R. Cross, Robert R. Jackson & Simon D. Pollard (2008), "Complex display behaviour of Evarcha culicivora, an East African mosquito‐eating jumping spider", New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 35(2), 151–187,

External links

• Photograph of E. praeclara
• Photograph of E. cara
• Photograph of E. hoyi