Phintella pygmaea

Euophrys pygmaea was first identified in 1981 by Wanda Wesołowska.[1] It was one of over 500 species identified by the Polish arahcnologist.[2] The species name is derived from the Latin word for dwarf. The genus, Euophrys was first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1834.[3] The name derives from two Greek words, meaning good and eyelids.[4]

In 2000, the species was moved to the genus Phintella by Dmitri V. Logunov and Yu M. Marusik based the appearance of the female holotype.[5] This genus had been raised in 1906 by Embrik Strand and W. Bösenberg. The genus name derives from the genus Phintia, which it resembles.[6] The genus Phintia was itself renamed Phintodes, which was subsequently absorbed into Tylogonus.[7] There are similarities between spiders within genus Phintella and those in Chira, Chrysilla, Euophrys, Icius, Jotus and Telamonia.[8] Genetic analysis confirms that it is related to the genera Helvetia and Menemerus and is classified in the tribe Chrysillini.[9][10] There is some uncertainty about the exact taxonomy of the species as only one example has been identified.[11]

Only the female has yet been identified.[1] The spider was initially described based on a holotype specimen found in 1965. The spider is small, with a brown oval cephalothorax that measures 1.69 mm (0.067 in) in length. It has two distinctive lighter markings behind the eye field that are shaped like half crescents.[12] The eye field itself is black. The abdomen is pale yellow, although slight traces of brown belts may be seen, and is 1.75 mm (0.069 in) long. The spider has a very small epigyne which has a ridge lined by two depressions.[13][14]

Phintella pygmaea was first found in the Guangdong in China.[12] The species is endemic to the country.[1]