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Thelacantha

Thelacantha (Asian spinybacked orbweaver) is a genus of orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, Thelacantha brevispina. It was first described by in 1882, and has been found in Australia, Madagascar, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, as well as parts of Japan. It has also been introduced into Hawaii. T. brevispina is closely related to those in the genus Gasteracantha and was briefly synonymized with it in 1859, but revalidated in 1974. Saito described three other Thelacantha species in 1933, which were later synonymized with T. brevispina.

Description

Females grow to about long, while males reach a size of . Females have six abdominal spines ending in distinct sharp points. Most have two large white spots on the upper surface of their abdomens, which are otherwise mottled with black, brown, and white patterns.

Taxonomy

T. brevispina has often been misidentified as Gasteracantha mammosa, which is now G. cancriformis. It has gone through a checkered name history, with many synonyms:

  • Gasteracantha alba <small>Vinson, 1863</small>
  • Gasteracantha borbonica <small>Vinson, 1863</small>
  • Plectana brevispina <small>Doleschall, 1857</small>
  • Gasteracantha brevispina <small>(Doleschall, 1857)</small>
  • Thelacantha brevispina <small>(Doleschall, 1857)</small>
  • Gasteracantha canningensis <small>Stoliczka, 1869</small>
  • Sitticus distinguendus <small>Fontana et al., 1996</small>
  • Attulus distinguendus <small>(Fontana et al., 1996)</small>
  • Plectana flavida <small>Doleschall, 1859</small>
  • Gasteracantha flavida <small>(Doleschall, 1859)</small>
  • Gasteracantha formosana <small>Saitō, 1933</small>
  • Gasteracantha guttata <small>Thorell, 1859</small>
  • Stanneoclavis latronum <small>Simon, 1890</small>
  • Actinacantha maculata <small>Karsch, 1878</small>
  • Gasteracantha mammeata <small>Thorell, 1859</small>
  • Gasteracantha mastoidea <small>L. Koch, 1872</small>
  • Stanneoclavis mastoidea <small>(L. Koch, 1872)</small>
  • Gasteracantha observatrix <small>O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879</small>
  • Plectana roseolimbata <small>Doleschall, 1859</small>
  • Gasteracantha sola <small>Saitō, 1933</small>
  • Gasteracantha sparsa <small>Saitō, 1933</small>
  • Gasteracantha suminata <small>L. Koch, 1871</small>
  • Stanneoclavis suminata <small>(L. Koch, 1871)</small>

See also

References