Thelacantha Brevispina on:
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''Thelacantha'' (Asian spinybacked orbweaver) is a
Thelacantha brevispina-female.jpg, Female at
File:Gasteracantha.mammosa.female.1.-.tanikawa.jpg
File:Gasteracantha.mammosa.female.2.-.tanikawa.jpg
File:Gasteracantha.mammosa.female.3.-.tanikawa.jpg
File:Gasteracantha.mammosa.female.4.-.tanikawa.jpg
File:Gasteracantha.mammosa.female.5.-.tanikawa.jpg
File:Gasteracantha.mammosa.female.6.-.tanikawa.jpg
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Thelacantha brevispina''. It was first described by A. W. M. van Hasselt in 1882, and has been found in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
, and across southern Asia from India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
to Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, including Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. It has also been introduced into Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. ''T. brevispina'' is closely related those in the genus ''Gasteracantha
''Gasteracantha'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first named by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. Species of the genus are known as spiny-backed orb-weavers, spiny orb-weavers, or spiny spiders. The females of most species are brightly colored wi ...
'', 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.
Molokai
Molokai , or Molokai (), is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its greatest length an ...
, Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
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'' Vinson, 1863 *''Gasteracantha borbonica'' Vinson, 1863 *''Plectana brevispina'' Doleschall, 1857 *''Gasteracantha brevispina'' (Doleschall, 1857) *''Thelacantha brevispina'' (Doleschall, 1857) *''Gasteracantha canningensis'' Stoliczka, 1869 *''Sitticus distinguendus'' Fontana et al., 1996 *''Attulus distinguendus'' (Fontana et al., 1996) *''Plectana flavida'' Doleschall, 1859 *''Gasteracantha flavida'' (Doleschall, 1859) *''Gasteracantha formosana'' Saitō, 1933 *''Gasteracantha guttata'' Thorell, 1859 *''Stanneoclavis latronum'' Simon, 1890 *''Actinacantha maculata'' Karsch, 1878 *''Gasteracantha mammeata'' Thorell, 1859 *''Gasteracantha mastoidea'' L. Koch, 1872 *''Stanneoclavis mastoidea'' (L. Koch, 1872) *''Gasteracantha observatrix'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879 *''Plectana roseolimbata'' Doleschall, 1859 *''Gasteracantha sola'' Saitō, 1933 *''Gasteracantha sparsa'' Saitō, 1933 *''Gasteracantha suminata'' L. Koch, 1871 *''Stanneoclavis suminata'' (L. Koch, 1871)See also
* ''Gasteracantha cancriformis
''Gasteracantha cancriformis'' (spinybacked orbweaver) is a species of orb-weaver spider (family Araneidae). It is widely distributed in the New World.
The genus name ''Gasteracantha'' derives from the Greek words (', "belly") and (', "thorn" ...
''
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q20644571, from2=Q1302376 Spiders of Madagascar Spiders of Asia Spiders of Australia Araneidae Monotypic Araneomorphae genera