New 6 Species of ‘Ghost Spiders’ Found in a Power Plant in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay [Study]

Six new species of spider were recently discovered. The discovery has tripled the number of species for the said genus.

New Species of "Ghost Spiders"

A new study discovered six spider species, one of which was found at a power plant in Brazil. The others were reportedly located in Argentina and Paraguay.

All of the new species belong to the genus Ostoniela. They are all considered "ghost spiders." The genus contained just two species before the discovery - Otoniela quadrivittata in Venezuela and Argentina and Otoniela adisi in Peru and Brazil.

Since then, as a result of scientists' analysis of dozens of stored spiders, the number of species in the genus has tripled.

The Otoniela lupercioi, a ghost spider found in a hydroelectric power station in Brazil, is one of the most unusual species yet seen. According to a study author, ghost spiders are usually located near bodies of water. They get their name from being "very fast" and "difficult to see." Ghost spiders reportedly like to hunt at night and hide beneath sac-like silk during the day.

Based on the photos, the new species has a brown body, eight eyes, and eight legs. It is otherwise relatively unremarkable. Although the spider may grow to a quarter of an inch, scientists were more intrigued by the "ample" genitalia of the female. Because of its distinctive bodily components, the researchers identified them as new species.

At present, there are more than 45,000 species of spiders in the globe, including the Ontoniela lupercioi spider. It is among the numerous species found this year. Thousands of new species are discovered yearly, with insects accounting for most of these.

New Scorpion Discovered

Meanwhile, a new species of scorpion was also discovered earlier this month. The two-inch arachnid is venomous but showed no signs that it was fatal.

Lauren Esposito, an arachnid researcher who examined it, likened the scorpion's sting to feeling like "getting pricked by a cactus" or, at worst, a bee sting. Its venom reportedly has little effect on humans.

Evolutionary biology student Prakrit Jain at UC Berkeley said he was very excited when he collected them as they were some of the first new species. The scorpion, officially known as Paruroctonus Tulare, had evolved to live in specific semi-moist, or mesic, regions of the California desert.

It had diverse colors, from tans and lighter yellows to darker browns and oranges. Despite their apparent differences, "fewer than four single nucleotide polymorphisms" separate the striped, smooth-bodied, eight-legged scorpions from one another.

Multiple factors currently threaten the survival of the scorpion. Most of them are caused by humans. Cattle grazing is said to be one of the human activities that is now putting scorpions in danger since it has brought non-native plants that are choking native herb species vital to the survival of younger Tulare Basin scorpions and native plants.

The team argues that to protect the species, it should be given "endangered or critically endangered species status," at the very least on a state level.

Check out more news and information on Scorpion in Science Times.