A new spider discovered in Colombia pays tribute to Pink Floyd: It measures only a few millimeters, but can hunt prey up to six times larger than itself.
His name is Pikelinia floydmurariaa clear reference to both its habitat (the cracks in the walls) and the band’s famous album, «The Wall».
The robot portrait was published in the magazine Zoosystematics and Evolution by a South American research team led by the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (ISIC).
The spider measures between 3 and 4 millimeters in lengthbut despite its small size, it could play an important role in controlling household pests.
It feeds on…
Analyzes carried out on P. floydmuraria and a related population indicate that its diet consists mainly of ants, flies, mosquitoes and beetles.
Researchers discovered that spiders of the genus Pikelinia capture and consume ants up to six times larger than themselves.
Furthermore, they hypothesize that by building their webs near artificial lights, spiders have developed a strategic adaptation to effectively trap insects that are attracted to light.
The discovery of P. floydmuraria represents the second species of the genus Pikelinia recorded in Colombia.
Researchers are calling for molecular and DNA analyzes of its diet to reconstruct the spider’s evolutionary history, determine with certainty its biogeographic origin, and fully quantify its potential as a natural regulator of urban pests.
ANSA Agency.
GML
