Sassacus cyaneus
This record describes Sassacus cyaneus (species). Recorded family: Salticidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
Sassacus cyaneus is a species of jumping spider. It used to be the only described species of the genus Agassa, but was transferred to the genus Sassacus in 2008. It seems to be closely related to S. papenhoei, but differs in the form of the carapace.
Wikipedia reference for Sassacus cyaneus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassacus cyaneus.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Arachnida
- Order
- Araneae (Spiders)
- Family
- Salticidae (Jumping Spiders)
- Genus
- Sassacus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
This is an eastern species ranging from New Brunswick south to Florida and west to Nebraska and Texas.
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Sassacus cyaneus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.
Ecological role of the group
Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.
Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Sassacus cyaneus (7)
Photo credits: (c) RL7836, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by RL7836 | (c) Angella Moorehouse, all rights reserved, uploaded by Angella Moorehouse | (c) Buddy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Buddy | Contributed by Jeff Hollenbeck; Additional contributions by Jay Barnes , cheins , Dick Walton