About Bijoaraneus mitificus (Simon, 1886)
This species, previously known as Araneus mitificus, is a small spider that displays sexual dimorphism. Females reach a total body length of 6 to 9 mm (0.24 to 0.35 in), while males are smaller at only 3 to 5 mm (0.12 to 0.20 in), and are generally less colorful than females. Their abdomens are globular, covered in fine hair, and slope abruptly from the mid-region toward the posterior. Two small but distinct tubercles are present at the rear end of the abdomen. The dorsal abdominal surface has highly variable black and white patterns: the front edge usually has a wide black band, and the upper center bears a characteristic large kidney-shaped marking (which can sometimes appear as a faint vertical line or V-shape, the feature that gives the species its common name). Immediately below this marking are two small but prominent black fovea pits. A series of faint transverse ridges runs across the posterior half of the abdomen. When viewed from the front, the dorsal abdominal markings can resemble a human face. The ventral side of the abdomen is a uniform solid green. Female epigynes have unwrinkled, very short and thick scapes. The cephalothorax is reddish, yellowish, or green in color, narrower at the front than at the back, and also covered in fine pubescence. The sternum is heart-shaped, narrows toward the back, and is covered with long, black, spine-like hairs. The spider has eight eyes arranged in two recurved rows; the front row of eyes is larger and more strongly recurved than the back row. The pair of central back eyes are surrounded by dark rings, and the lateral eyes are positioned close together and mounted on black tubercles. The labium is wider than it is long and yellowish in color. The maxillae are almost square in shape, and bear distinct tufts of hair called scopulae at their tips. The chelicerae and pedipalps range from yellowish to brownish in color. The legs are moderately strong and long, with color ranging from reddish and yellowish to pale green and brownish. The distal ends of the leg segments have dark brown transverse bands. Legs are covered with long black spines and fine hairs. The leg length order is 1-2-4-3, meaning the first pair of legs is the longest and the third pair is the shortest. This species occurs in South, East, and Southeast Asia; its range extends west to Pakistan and India, north to China and Japan, and south to the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Australia. It is common in gardens and low vegetation, and frequently builds its webs among bushes.
