Cyrtophora parangexanthematica
Encyclopedia
Cyrtophora parangexanthematica is a species of tent spider
found in the Philippines
. Its scientific name comes from its close resemblance to double-tailed tent spiders
. It was described from a single female specimen collected in 1995.
, referring to their close resemblance to double-tailed tent spiders (Cyrtophora exanthematica
).
C. parangexanthematica is classified under the genus
Cyrtophora
(tent-web spiders) and the subfamily Cyrtophorinae
. They belong to the orb-weaver spider
family
Araneidae.
The cephalothorax
was yellowish brown in color, 3.6 mm (0.141732283464567 in) long and 2.6 mm (0.102362204724409 in) wide. The sternum (ventral surface of the cephalothorax) was yellow brown with small bumps opposite the coxae (the first segment of the appendages attached to the cephalothorax). The eight eyes were arranged in two recurved rows.
The abdomen was yellow in color, 5.2 mm (0.204724409448819 in) long and 3.7 mm (0.145669291338583 in) wide. On the middle of the upper surface was a distinctive black triangular spot surrounding by eight sigilla (small pitted depressions) arranged in two rows. Like it's namesake, C. parangexanthematica had two blunt projections at the posterior end of its abdomen, a pair of 'humps' on the forward part, and a pair of white lines running from the tip of the 'humps' down to below the projections on its rear end. The spinneret
s were bordered with white rings and the bottom of the abdomen had pale spots. The epigynum
possessed a V-shaped scape (or ovipositor
). The sperm receptacles (spermatheca
e) are globular.
The legs were yellow, not striped, and possessed thin spines. The leg formula is I,II,IV,III (relative lengths of the legs from the longest to the shortest, I is the first pair of legs at the front).
Nothing is known about males of the species.
in the Philippines
. Nothing else is known about their habitat or behavior in the wild.
Cyrtophora
The Tent-web spiders , although technically orb-web spiders , do not build orb webs. Their tent-like, highly complex non-sticky web is sometimes considered a precursor of the simplified orb-web. These webs are aligned horizontally, with a network of supporting threads above them. These spiders...
found in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Its scientific name comes from its close resemblance to double-tailed tent spiders
Cyrtophora exanthematica
Cyrtophora exanthematica are tent spiders common in tropical Asia and Australia. They are commonly known as double-tailed tent spiders because of the pair of blunt projections at the end of their abdomens. They are harmless to humans....
. It was described from a single female specimen collected in 1995.
Taxonomy
C. parangexanethematica was described by A. T. Barrion and J. A. Litsinger in 1995. The description is based on a single female specimen recovered from a rice field. The specific name "parangexanthematica" literally means 'like exanthematica' in FilipinoFilipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
, referring to their close resemblance to double-tailed tent spiders (Cyrtophora exanthematica
Cyrtophora exanthematica
Cyrtophora exanthematica are tent spiders common in tropical Asia and Australia. They are commonly known as double-tailed tent spiders because of the pair of blunt projections at the end of their abdomens. They are harmless to humans....
).
C. parangexanthematica is classified under the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Cyrtophora
Cyrtophora
The Tent-web spiders , although technically orb-web spiders , do not build orb webs. Their tent-like, highly complex non-sticky web is sometimes considered a precursor of the simplified orb-web. These webs are aligned horizontally, with a network of supporting threads above them. These spiders...
(tent-web spiders) and the subfamily Cyrtophorinae
Cyrtophorinae
Cyrtophorinae is a subfamily of spiders in the orb-weaver spider family. Unlike other orb-weavers, spiders belonging to Cyrtophorinae build horizontal, finely meshed platforms within a tangle of irregular webs...
. They belong to the orb-weaver spider
Orb-weaver spider
The "typical" orb-weaver spiders are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields and forests...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Araneidae.
Description
C. parangexanthematica females had a total body length of 8.8 mm (0.346456692913386 in).The cephalothorax
Cephalothorax
The cephalothorax is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. The word cephalothorax is derived from the Greek words for head and thorax...
was yellowish brown in color, 3.6 mm (0.141732283464567 in) long and 2.6 mm (0.102362204724409 in) wide. The sternum (ventral surface of the cephalothorax) was yellow brown with small bumps opposite the coxae (the first segment of the appendages attached to the cephalothorax). The eight eyes were arranged in two recurved rows.
The abdomen was yellow in color, 5.2 mm (0.204724409448819 in) long and 3.7 mm (0.145669291338583 in) wide. On the middle of the upper surface was a distinctive black triangular spot surrounding by eight sigilla (small pitted depressions) arranged in two rows. Like it's namesake, C. parangexanthematica had two blunt projections at the posterior end of its abdomen, a pair of 'humps' on the forward part, and a pair of white lines running from the tip of the 'humps' down to below the projections on its rear end. The spinneret
Spinneret
A spinneret is a spider's or insect larva's silk-spinning organ. It is usually on the underside of a spider's abdomen, to the rear. While most spiders have six spinnerets, some have two, four, or eight. They move independently and in concert...
s were bordered with white rings and the bottom of the abdomen had pale spots. The epigynum
Epigyne
The epigyne or epigynum is the external genital structure of female spiders. As the epigyne varies greatly in form in different species, even in closely related ones, it often provides the most distinctive characteristic for recognizing species...
possessed a V-shaped scape (or ovipositor
Ovipositor
The ovipositor is an organ used by some animals for oviposition, i.e., the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly...
). The sperm receptacles (spermatheca
Spermatheca
The spermatheca , also called receptaculum seminis , is an organ of the female reproductive tract in insects, some molluscs, oligochaeta worms and certain other invertebrates and vertebrates...
e) are globular.
The legs were yellow, not striped, and possessed thin spines. The leg formula is I,II,IV,III (relative lengths of the legs from the longest to the shortest, I is the first pair of legs at the front).
Nothing is known about males of the species.
Distribution and ecology
The single specimen was found in the island of PanayPanay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Nothing else is known about their habitat or behavior in the wild.