This small arachnid has been hiding in the Ecuadorian Amazon forest, so well-camouflaged as one of its predators that researchers initially almost missed it.
According to the study published in the journal Zootaxa, this discovery marks the first documented case of a spider mimicking a parasitic fungus that infects its own kind. This new species was found in the Llanganates-Sangay Corridor – one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.
The ‘cordyceps spider’ (Taczanowska waskia) mimics the fruiting body of a Gibellula fungus, a genus that specifically targets arachnids. Characterised by elongated structures on its abdomen and a pale, fungus-like surface, this spider has mastered the mimicry game – it tends to remain motionless on the underside of leaves, right where the fungus is usually found.
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The researchers think this highly adapted appearance and behaviour could serve both as protection for the spider, as well as aiding it in hunting by allowing it to take prey by surprise – after all, a fungus doesn’t tend to lunge at you.
A known species of the Gibellula fungus is Gibellula attenboroughii, first discovered in Ireland in 2021 and named after Sir David Attenborough. This species infects orb-weaving cave spiders and some other normally reclusive arachnids, making them leave their lairs or webs and move to more exposed locations to die.
The genus Taczanowskia is rare and not widely studied, partly because it’s not often observed in the wild. The ‘cordyceps spider’ was first spotted by a user of the iNaturalist platform, an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information – highlighting the importance of citizen science, international collaboration and new data sources in striving to better understand the natural world.
Top image credit: David Diaz-Guevarra
