Cryptachaea veruculata

Cryptachaea veruculata is a spider native to Australia and New Zealand. It has been introduced into England and Belgium.[1][2] The species has potential to control spider mites and leafroller caterpillars in New Zealand.[2]

Cryptachaea veruculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Cryptachaea
Species:
C. veruculata
Binomial name
Cryptachaea veruculata
(Urquhart, 1885)
Synonyms

Theridion veruculatum
Theridion nigrofolium
Achaearanea veruculatum

Description

Females reach a body size of about 4 mm, males only about 1.5 mm. They sometimes build small webs in flowers and green vegetation, but will also build webs in corners of the outer walls of buildings.

Taxonomy

This species was moved from genus Achaearanea in 2008.[1]

Name

Common names include Diamond Comb-footed Spider. In New Zealand, it is also known as just "cobweb spider".

Notes

  1. Platnick 2009
  2. Yeates & Williams 2006

References

  • Yeates, G.W. & Williams, P.A. (2006): Export of Plant and Animal Species from an Insular Biota. in: Biological Invasions in New Zealand. ISBN 978-3-540-30022-9 — doi:10.1007/3-540-30023-6
  • Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.

Further reading

  • Yoshida, Hajime (2008): A revision of the genus Achaearanea (Araneae: Theridiidae). Acta Arachnologica 57(1): 37-40. PDF
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