Mallinella spec. or Mallinella cf. myrmecophaga Koh & Dankittipakul, 2014 – of Sarawak/Borneo – around 20m ASL

The spider genus Mallinella (Araneae: Zodariidae) was established in 1906 by Embrik Strand; Mallinella maculata is the type species. There are several published records and new descriptions from Borneo: In a study on Sundaland/Indonesia, new species from East and South Kalimantan (Borneo) were described, among others, and the occurrence of Mallinella albomaculata on Borneo was expanded. The first formal report of the genus was published for Brunei Darussalam in 2014 (four documented species, including three newly described ones); in addition, females of Mallinella bigemina from Brunei are reported there for the first time, after the species was previously only known from an evergreen mountain forest at an altitude of 2000m on Mount Kinabalu (Kinabalu Park, Sabah). Behavior and diet: Mallinella is described as a nocturnal, free-roaming hunter of the forest floor; during the day, the animals are typically hidden under leaves and stones, and insects are generally reported as their prey. In the context of family biology, Zodariidae are also referred to as “ant-eating spiders,” and microhabitats such as litter, ground cover, and areas under rocks/wood are mentioned for such spiders.