A tiny spider with a bright red smile on its back has surprised scientists by reappearing thousands of miles from where a famous relative was thought to live. For over 100 years, the happy-faced spider was believed to exist only in Hawaii, making it one of the most famous and rare arachnids in the world.
Now, researchers from the Forest Research Institute and the Regional Museum of Natural History have identified a new species in the mountains of Uttarakhand, India. They named it because of its striking resemblance to the Hawaiian species Teridion Himalayanaor the Himalayan Happy Face Spider.
Accidental spider discovery
“This discovery was serendipitous because our research was[originally]about ants,” said Devi Priyadarshini, a scientist at the Regional Museum of Natural History and co-author of the study.
“But my co-author (Ashirwad Tripathy) kept sending me spiders from highlands for identification. So one fine day he shared this image of the underside of a spider. Daphnia Leaf, I had seen a Hawaiian spider during my master’s program, so I froze in shock. And because of their uncanny resemblance, we immediately knew we had a jackpot. I asked him to send me all the morphs he found, which led to discoveries within the next few months of October 2023. ”
Priyadarshini said she has long been interested in studying high-altitude spiders. This is because the vegetation and landscape of highlands are vastly different from those of lowlands.
“This seemed like an entry point for investigating other polymorphic species in the region.”
Asirwad added that broader field studies could reveal more variation within the species.
named after the Himalayas
The newly discovered spider was found at an altitude of over 2,000 meters and the species name is Himalayaspays homage to the mountain range where it was discovered.
“The name Himalayana was chosen as the species name because both of us wanted to pay homage to the majestic Himalayas, which not only protects our country but also preserves the rich biodiversity within it,” Ashirwad said.
“Since this spider was the first polymorph found in this region, we decided to make it an ode to the great mountains.”
DNA confirms new spider species
Research results published in open access journals evolutionary systematicsrecords 32 different color forms, or ‘morphs’, collected from three locations in Uttarakhand – Makk, Tara and Mandal.
Genetic analysis confirms this by showing that the new spider is about 8.5% different from the Hawaiian happy-faced spider. Teridion Himalayana It represents a separate evolutionary lineage that developed independently in Asia.
The mystery behind the spider’s smile
Their colorful smile-like markings make these spiders instantly recognizable, but scientists still don’t know why they evolved.
“The reasons behind the emergence of polymorphism are also very complex and unique,” Priyadarshini explained.
“While there is no doubt that these patterns help increase survival in the wild, and that is prima facie understood, why they rely on such patterns on their backs and exactly what functional role it plays in their life cycle remains to be deciphered. This undoubtedly points to a deeper genetic mystery.”
Asirwad also noted that spiders were found with other small creatures with similar color patterns, suggesting broader ecological or evolutionary factors may be at play.
Interesting connection with the ginger plant
The researchers also discovered another unexpected similarity between the Himalayan and Hawaiian species. Similar to the Hawaiian spider, the newly identified spider is commonly found on ginger plants (Hedychium sp.).
Ginger is not native to Hawaii, so the shared preference raises new questions about spiders’ evolutionary history.
“How exactly did the spider choose the exotic species and the ginger?” Priyadarshini pointed out.
“if T. Himalayana is an older cousin of T. GralaterAlthough it was discovered 125 years later! This sounds like a lofty claim now, but it will be our further scope of work to establish it, if it exists at all. hedychium Sp’
