Spintharus berniesandersi
Spintharus berniesandersi is a species of Spintharus ("smiley-faced spiders") 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.[2] This revision is in contrast to Herbert Walter Levi's taxonomy, which considered it to be intraspecific variation within Spintharus flavidus.[3][4]
| Spintharus berniesandersi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Spintharus |
| Species: | S. berniesandersi |
| Binomial name | |
| Spintharus berniesandersi | |
Distribution
The specimens mentioned in the original species description all came from Cuba. The holotype was collected in Mensura-Piloto National Park, near Mayarí, Holguín Province. Additional specimens were collected from El Yunque Mountain, near Baracoa, Guantánamo Province and Gran Piedra, Santiago de Cuba Province.[2]
Description
The species has a lemon-yellow colour and the female abdomen lacks humps and is nearly oval. On the spider's back is an ornate pattern halfway between a distorted smiley face and grimace.[2]
Measurements
The male's total length is 2.47–2.66 mm, with a cephalothorax length of 0.74–0.98 mm and femur I length of 1.23–1.90 mm. The female's total length is 2.89–2.40 mm, with a cephalothorax length of 0.91–0.80 mm and a femur I length of 1.75–1.44 mm.[2]
Genetics
Part of the diagnosis of S. berniesandersi includes the combination of four specific mitochondrial DNA nucleotide substitutions.[2]
Etymology
The specific name honors Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, whom the authors describe as "a tireless fighter for human rights and equality, and environmentally aware social democracy".[2] Due to its name, this species received media attention.[5][6][7]
References
- World Spider Catalog (2018). "Spintharus berniesandersi Agnarsson & Sargeant, 2018". World Spider Catalog. 19.0. Bern: Natural History Museum. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- 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)" (PDF). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 182 (4): 772. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx056. S2CID 89651018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-02-11.
- 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.
- 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.
- Guarino, Ben (26 September 2017). "Meet Bernie Sanders's new namesake: A spider from Cuba". Washington Post.
- Lewis, Rachel (26 September 2017). "Meet the New Spider Species Named After Bernie Sanders". Time. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
-
Klepper, Jordan; Miller, Stuart; Noah, Trevor. "September 26, 2017: Neal Katyal". The Opposition with Jordan Klepper. Season 1. Episode 2. Comedy Central.
Scientists have named a new species of spider after Bernie Sanders, and I can only assume its webs try to cover everybody.
External links
- Browna, Joshua E. (26 September 2017). "Discovery: Bernie Sanders Spider. Undergrads find new spider species—name them after Obamas, Leonardo DiCaprio". University Communications (Press release). The University of Vermont. Retrieved 28 September 2017.