Phycosoma martinae

Last updated

Large-spots Comb-foot Spider
Dipoena.martinae.female.-.tanikawa.jpg
female
Phycosoma martinae 558008748.jpg
male
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Phycosoma
Species:
P. martinae
Binomial name
Phycosoma martinae
(Roberts, 1983) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Dipoena martinaeRoberts, 1983
  • Dipoena japonicaYoshida, 1991
  • Dipoena decamaculataChen, Peng & Zhao, 1992
  • Dipoena ruedaiBarrion & Litsinger, 1995
  • Dipoena coreanaPaik, 1995
  • Trigonobothrys martinaeYoshida, 2002

Phycosoma martinae is a species of spider in the family Theridiidae. [2] It is found across Africa and Asia and is commonly known as the large-spots comb-foot spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Phycosoma martinae has a wide distribution across Africa and Asia. It is found in Kenya, Angola, South Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar, India, China, Korea, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), and the Philippines. [2]

Habitat and ecology

The species has been observed feeding on ants. [3]

In South Africa, Phycosoma martinae inhabits multiple biomes including Fynbos, Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Savanna, and Thicket biomes at altitudes ranging from 6 to 1,556 m. [3]

Description

The species exhibits distinctive spotted markings on the abdomen. [3]

Conservation

Phycosoma martinae is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in more than 10 protected areas throughout South Africa. [3]

Taxonomy

Phycosoma martinae was originally described by Roberts in 1983 as Dipoena martinae from Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. [1] The species was subsequently transferred to Trigonobothrys by Yoshida in 2002 and later to Phycosoma by Saaristo in 2006. [4] Several species have been synonymized with P. martinae, including Dipoena decamaculata from China, D. ruedai from the Philippines, and D. coreana from Korea. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 Roberts, M.J. (1983). "Spiders of the families Theridiidae, Tetragnathidae and Araneidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from Aldabra atoll". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 77 (3): 217–291. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1983.tb00099.x.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Phycosoma martinae (Roberts, 1983)". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Theridiidae of South Africa. Part 1 A-P. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 61. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7515890. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ↑ Saaristo, M.I. (2006). "Theridiid or cobweb spiders of the granitic Seychelles islands (Araneae, Theridiidae)". Phelsuma. 14: 49–89.
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