A New Species of Spider Was Found in the Himalayas — and it Has a Smiley Face
A new species of spider, named Theridion himalayana, has been discovered in the Indian Himalayas, resembling the well-known Hawaiian Happy-Face spider. This finding was unexpected, as researchers were initially focused on studying ants rather than spiders. The Himalayan Happy-Face spider exhibits a unique smile-like pattern and has evolved separately from its Hawaiian counterpart despite their similarities.
- ▪The Himalayan Happy-Face spider was found at elevations above 6,500 feet in Uttarakhand, India.
- ▪Researchers documented 32 different color forms of the spider across three locations.
- ▪DNA analysis revealed an 8.5 percent genetic difference between the Himalayan and Hawaiian species.
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One of the most recognizable spiders in the world — the Happy-Face spider — was long believed to only exist on the Hawaiian Islands. But now, scientists have discovered a strikingly similar species thousands of miles away in the Indian Himalayas.The newly described species, Theridion himalayana, or the Himalayan Happy-Face Spider, was found at elevations above 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) in Uttarakhand, India. Sporting a vivid red grin-like pattern on its back, the tiny spider looks remarkably similar to Hawai’i’s iconic Happy-Face spider, Theridion grallator.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Discover Magazine.
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