Spintharus

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Spintharus
Temporal range: Neogene–present
Cobweb Spider - Spintharus flavidus, Catoctin Mountains, Maryland.jpg
S. flavidus from Maryland.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Spintharus
Hentz, 1850 [1] [2]
Type species
Spintharus flavidus
Hentz, 1850 [1]
Species

See text.

Diversity
c. 18 extant species; 1 fossil species

The spider genus Spintharus occurs from the northeastern United States to Brazil. Nicholas Marcellus Hentz circumscribed the genus in 1850, initially as a monospecific genus containing his newly described species S. flavidus. [2]

Contents

It is very similar to the genus Thwaitesia , and both are similar to Episinus . Unlike Argyrodes , they have two setae in place of a colulus.

Specimens of S. flavidus are variable in structure. Only some have an elevated eye region or humps on the anterior of the abdomen.

Females of S. gracilis are 3.7mm long, males 2.3mm.

A revision of the genus by Ingi Agnarsson  [ nl ] and colleagues printed in 2018 included the description of fifteen new species, as well as the removal of S. argenteus. [3] Some of the new specific names were named in honor of political figures, artists, and celebrities. [4] As of 2017, when the electronic pre-print was published, Spintharus was the spider genus with the most species named after celebrities. [5]

An earlier revision of the genus was by Herbert Walter Levi; his taxonomy recognized two species: S. flavidus and S. gracilis. [6] [7]

Species

Female S. flavidus (w/o legs). Spintharus.flavidus.female.lateral.svg
Female S. flavidus (w/o legs).

As of 2020, the World Spider Catalog (WSC), largely following Agnarsson and colleagues, accepts the following extant species: [3] [1]

The WSC also recognizes one fossil species in the genus: [8]

Formerly accepted species in Spintharus include: [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theridiidae</span> Family of spiders

Theridiidae, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders, is a large family of araneomorph spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. This diverse, globally distributed family includes over 3,000 species in 124 genera, and is the most common arthropod found in human dwellings throughout the world.

<i>Chrosiothes</i> Genus of spiders

Chrosiothes is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1894. It is considered a senior synonym of Theridiotis.

<i>Anelosimus</i> Genus of spiders

Anelosimus is a cosmopolitan genus of cobweb spiders (Theridiidae), currently containing 74 species. Anelosimus is a key group in the study of sociality and its evolution in spiders. It contains species spanning the spectrum from solitary to highly social (quasisocial), with eight quasisocial species, far more than any other spider genus. Among these is the South American social species Anelosimus eximius, among the best studied social spider species.

<i>Hentziectypus</i> Genus of spiders

Hentziectypus is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Allan Frost Archer in 1946. Originally placed with Theridion, it was moved to Achaearanea in 1955, and to its own genus in 2008. These spiders most resemble members of Cryptachaea, but are distinguished by a median apophysis that is broadly attached to the tegulum. Spiders of Parasteatoda have a median apophysis attached to the embolus, while those of Achaearanea have a hooked paracymbium on the pedipalps of males.

Spintharus berniesandersi is a species of Spintharus in the family Theridiidae. It is endemic to Cuba. It was described in 2018 by Ingi Agnarsson and Lily Sargeant of the University of Vermont in a revision of the genus by Agnarsson and colleagues. S. berniesandersi was discovered alongside 14 other species of smiley-faced spiders. This revision is in contrast to Herbert Walter Levi's taxonomy, which considered it to be intraspecific variation within Spintharus flavidus.

Spintharus leonardodicaprioi is a species of theridiid spider. It is found in the Dominican Republic and was named after the actor Leonardo DiCaprio for his environmental activism. It was named alongside several other Spintharus species whose specific epithets honored celebrities, and it received media coverage from around the world due to its name.

Spintharus goodbreadae is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Cuba. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus giraldoalayoni is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Cuba. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus manrayi is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Cuba. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus rallorum is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Puerto Rico and Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018. The authors spelt the name as Spintharus ralli, but noted that it honoured the "grandparents of the first author of the species." As the name refers to more than one person, the World Spider Catalog changed it from the Latin genitive singular to the genitive plural.

Spintharus davidbowiei is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Mexico. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018. About its naming, the authors wrote: "The species epithet honours the great artist David Bowie who passed away prematurely in 2016, but whose music will continue to inspire the generations to come."

Spintharus barackobamai is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Cuba. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.It was also named after President Barack Obama.

Spintharus davidattenboroughi is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Jamaica. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus frosti is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Dominican Republic. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus skelly is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in the Dominican Republic. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus dayleae is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus greerae is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Mexico. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus michelleobamaae is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Cuba. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

Spintharus jesselaueri is a species of comb-footed spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Dominica. It is one of 15 new species described in 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Gen. Spintharus Hentz, 1850". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 Hentz, Nicholas Marcellus (1850). "Descriptions and Figures of the Araneides of the United States". Boston Journal of Natural History. 6 (2): 283–284, Pl. 10, Fig. 8.
  3. 1 2 3 Agnarsson, Ingi; Van Patten, Chloe; Sargeant, Lily; Chomitz, Ben; Dziki, Austin; Binford, Greta J. (2018). "A radiation of the ornate Caribbean 'smiley-faced spiders', with descriptions of 15 new species (Araneae: Theridiidae, Spintharus)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 182 (4): 758–790. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx056.
  4. ↑ Guarino, Ben (26 September 2017). "Meet Bernie Sanders's new namesake: A spider from Cuba". Washington Post.
  5. ↑ Mammola, Stefano; Michalik, Peter; Hebets, Eileen A.; Isaia, Marco (2017). "Record breaking achievements by spiders and the scientists who study them". PeerJ. 5 (e3972): 12–13. doi: 10.7717/peerj.3972 . PMC   5668680 . PMID   29104823.
  6. ↑ Levi, Herbert W. (1954). "The Spider Genera Episinus and Spintharus from North America, Central America and the West Indies (Araneæ: Theridiidæ)". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 62 (2): 65–90. JSTOR   25005540.
  7. 1 2 Levi, Herbert W. (1963). "The American Spider Genera Spintharus and Thwaitesia (Araneae Theridiidae)". Psyche: A Journal of Entomology. 70 (4): 223–234. doi: 10.1155/1963/54690 .
  8. ↑ Dunlop, J. A.; Penny, D.; Jekel, D. (2017). "A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives" (PDF). World Spider Catalog. 18.5. Natural History Museum Bern. p. 161. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  9. ↑ Bryant, Elizabeth B. (1942). "Notes on the Spiders of the Virgin Islands". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College. 89 (7): 343–344.
  10. ↑ Levi, Herbert W. (1959). "The spider genera Achaearanea, Theridion and Sphyrotinus from Mexico, Central America and the West Indies (Araneae, Theridiidae)". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College. 121 (3): 116.
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