Cosmopolitan Cob-web Spider Cryptachaea blattea (Urquhart, 1886)
Fauna Portal species: 9284
Cryptachaea blattea female, dorsal (HBI N30475-16; Weldborough Pass Rainforest Walk, Tasmania)
Image: V.W. Framenau (2024)
Fauna Portal Image No. 8842Diagnosis
(after Vink et al. 2009): Cryptachaea blattea can be distinguished from other Cryptachaea species by the epigynum of the female, which has a protruding knob with a circular opening on the anterior surface and the arrangement of the male pedipalp, particularly the shape of the short embolus (shorter than conductor), which lies against the conductor. Females have a dorsal abdominal tubercle with and anterior black face.
The male pedipalp is particularly characteristic in retrolateral view as the cymbium has a pointy ventral protrusion in its apical half.
Status
- introduced
Linnean Holotype
Australia
- New South Wales
- Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands
- Tasmania
Neighbouring Countries
- New Zealand
Fauna Portal Records
The map shows all records that have been verified as part of the Fauna Portal project and may not represent the true distribution of a species. Specifically, for described species, check the link to the Atlas of Living Australia on this page for potential wider distributions. Fauna Portal Reference specimens and Linnean types are shown in red. If you identified a specimen that exceeds the distribution of an undescribed species as illustrated here, please contact the Fauna Portal team who can assist with the lodgement of the specimen in a public institution and display on the map.
Similar Species
Publications
(2009): The cosmopolitan spider Cryptachaea blattea (Urquhart 1886) (Araneae: Theridiidae): redescription, including COI sequence, and new synonymy. Zootaxa. 2133: 55 - 63DOI