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New Wall-Dwelling Spider Named for Pink Floyd Takes Prey Six Times Its Size

DNA testing is planned to clarify its origins plus its pest-control value.

Overview

  • The peer-reviewed description, published Tuesday in Zoosystematics and Evolution, names Pikelinia floydmuraria from Colombia as only the second Pikelinia recorded in the country.
  • The spider measures about 3 to 4 millimeters long and builds crevice webs on walls in cities.
  • Dietary records show it targets ants, flies, mosquitoes and beetles that gather at artificial lights.
  • Field work documented individuals capturing ants up to six times the size of their prosoma.
  • The paper also details the female genitalia of the Galapagos species Pikelinia fasciata for the first time, prompting DNA studies to test a possible ColombiaGalapagos link.