A new Spider The species wears a striking red and white pattern on the back that resembles the smile worn by Batman’s former enemy, the Joker. The resemblance is so bizarre that the researchers who described the arachnid named the species after actor Joaquin Phoenix, who played the tormented and smiling villain in the 2019 movie, “Joker.”
Ironically, the colorful spider belongs to a genre that was named after the late punk rock icon Lou Reed, who wore black and rarely smiled.
Scientists discovered Loureedia phoenixi in Iran; it is the first one Loureedia spider to be identified outside the Mediterranean region, they reported in a new study. The genus, first described in 2018, now includes four species.
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On the male’s back L. phoenixi Spiders, a hint of bright red stands out against a white background, just like the Joker’s puzzling smile contrasts with his white facial makeup, scientists wrote in the study. However, you would need a magnification to see it clearly, as the spider’s body is only around 0.3 inches (8 millimeters) long and covered in tiny hairs.
In fact, spiders in this family, Eresidae, are known as velvet spiders because they sport dense, velvety coats, said study lead author Alireza Zamani, an arachnologist and doctor in the Biodiversity Unit at the University of Turku in Finland. Velvet spiders are especially interesting to arachnologists because some have unusual habits, such as cooperating to build communal nests and collectively caring for their young, Zamani told Live Science in an email.
Discovering LoureediaAsking is challenging, because arachnids are active on the ground only for a period of three weeks each year.
“These spiders spend most of their lives in their underground nests,” said Zamani. Males leave their burrows to hunt females, “generally from late October to mid-November,” and spiders surface when they leave their mother’s nest, she explained.
So far, scientists have collected and described only male Joker spiders. But the search will continue for the elusive females, targeting places where males have been found.
“Ideally, if you have enough time and patience, it would be interesting to follow up
A wandering man. You should know how to find the female better than anyone, “Zamani said.” In this way, you would also have the opportunity to observe and photograph the actual mating behavior, which has not been documented for any Loureedia species still, “he added.
The findings were published in the June issue of the journal. Selecta arthropods.
Originally published in Living science.
