Steatoda tortoisea
| Steatoda tortoisea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| female from Thailand | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Steatoda |
| Species: | S. tortoisea |
| Binomial name | |
| Steatoda tortoisea Yin, Griswold, Bao & Xu, 2003 | |
Steatoda tortoisea is a species of spider in the family Theridiidae. It is endemic to China, where it has been recorded from Yunnan Province.[1] Only the female has been described; the male remains unknown.[2]
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was first described in 2003 by Yin, Griswold, Bao and Xu based on female specimens collected from the Nujiang region of Yunnan Province.[2] The specific name "tortoisea" is derived from the tortoise shell-like pattern found on the spider's abdominal dorsum.[2]
Distribution
[edit]S. tortoisea has been described from Yunnan Province in southwestern China, specifically from the Nujiang region and Liuku in Lushui County.[2] It has also been found in Thailand.[3]
Description
[edit]The female of S. tortoisea has a pear-shaped carapace that is red-brown to black-brown in color. The abdominal dorsum is ovoid and black-brown with a distinctive tortoise shell-like pattern and three pairs of muscle impressions, with the second pair being the largest.[2]
The epigyne is characterized by the presence of a scape with lateral margins that turn up towards the median. The vulva contains two large spherical spermathecae.[2] The species is most similar to Steatoda cingulata, but can be distinguished by the presence of the characteristic scape and the distinct abdominal patterns.[2]
The holotype female measures 9.27 mm in total length, with a carapace length of 3.97 mm and width of 3.76 mm. The abdomen measures 5.51 mm in length and 4.55 mm in width.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Steatoda tortoisea Yin, Griswold, Bao & Xu, 2003". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Yin, C. M.; Griswold, C. E.; Bao, Y. H.; Xu, X. (2003). "Four species of the spider genus Steatoda (Araneae: Theridiidae) from the Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan, China". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 54: 133–140.
- ↑ "Steatoda tortoisea". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2 September 2025.