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 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
References