Spintharus Explained

Spintharus should not be confused with Spintharus of Corinth.

The spider genus Spintharus occurs from the northeastern United States to Brazil. Nicholas Marcellus Hentz circumscribed the genus in 1850, initially as a monospecific genus containing his newly described species S. flavidus.

It is very similar to the genus Thwaitesia, and both are similar to Episinus. Unlike Argyrodes, they have two setae in place of a colulus.

Specimens of S. flavidus are variable in structure. Only some have an elevated eye region or humps on the anterior of the abdomen.

Females of S. gracilis are 3.7mm long, males 2.3mm.

A revision of the genus by and colleagues printed in 2018 included the description of fifteen new species, as well as the removal of S. argenteus. Some of the new specific names were named in honor of political figures, artists, and celebrities.^[1] As of 2017, when the electronic pre-print was published, Spintharus was the spider genus with the most species named after celebrities.

An earlier revision of the genus was by Herbert Walter Levi; his taxonomy recognized two species: S. flavidus and S. gracilis.

Species

, the World Spider Catalog (WSC), largely following Agnarsson and colleagues, accepts the following extant species:

• Spintharus barackobamai – Cuba
• Spintharus berniesandersi – Cuba
• Spintharus davidattenboroughi – Jamaica
• Spintharus davidbowiei – Mexico
• Spintharus dayleae – Saint Lucia, Grenada
• Spintharus flavidus (type species) – USA, Central and South America
• Spintharus frosti – Dominican Republic
• Spintharus giraldoalayoni – Cuba
• Spintharus goodbreadae – Cuba
• Spintharus gracilis – Brazil
• Spintharus greerae – Mexico
• Spintharus jesselaueri – Dominica
• Spintharus leonardodicaprioi – Dominican Republic
• Spintharus leverger – Brazil
• Spintharus manrayi – Cuba
• Spintharus michelleobamaae – Cuba
• Spintharus rallorum – Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Spintharus skelly – Dominican Republic

The WSC also recognizes one fossil species in the genus:^[2]

• Spintharus longisoma — Dominican amber

Formerly accepted species in Spintharus include:

• Spintharus minutus (= Theridion antillanum)
• Spintharus hentzi (= Spintharus flavidus)
• Spintharus argenteus (nomen dubium)

Notes and References

1. News: Guarino. Ben. Meet Bernie Sanders's new namesake: A spider from Cuba. Washington Post. 26 September 2017.
2. Web site: Dunlop. J. A.. Penny. D.. Jekel. D.. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. 28 September 2017. 2017. 18.5. 161.