Steatoda lepida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Steatoda lepida |
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| A male Steatoda lepida | |
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The Steatoda lepida is a fascinating type of spider that lives only in New Zealand. It belongs to a group of spiders called Theridiidae, which are also known as tangle-web spiders or comb-footed spiders. These spiders are famous for building messy, irregular webs.
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What is Steatoda lepida?
Steatoda lepida is a small spider, like many others in its family. Spiders in the Steatoda group are sometimes called "false widow spiders" because they look a bit like the more famous (and often more dangerous) widow spiders. However, Steatoda lepida is not considered dangerous to humans. It mostly eats small insects that get caught in its web.
Where Does It Live?
This special spider is found only in New Zealand. When an animal or plant lives only in one specific place, we say it is "endemic" to that area. This means Steatoda lepida is a unique part of New Zealand's amazing wildlife. It lives in various habitats across the country.
How Spiders Get Their Names
Naming animals and plants is a big job for scientists! It's called Taxonomy. Scientists give each living thing a unique two-part name, like Steatoda lepida, so everyone around the world knows exactly which creature they are talking about.
The Naming Journey of Steatoda lepida
The Steatoda lepida spider has had a few different names over the years, which can sometimes happen in science as new discoveries are made!
- 1880: This spider was first officially described and named Lithyphantes lepidus.
- 1886: Another scientist, Arthur Urquhart, described it again, but he gave it a different name: Theridium triloris. He didn't know it was the same spider!
- 1935: A scientist named Elizabeth Bryant figured out that Theridium triloris was actually the same as Lithyphantes lepidus. So, Theridium triloris became a "synonym," meaning it was another name for the same thing.
- 1956: The spider was described a third time, and this time it was called Lithyphantes regius.
- 1983: Scientists realized that Lithyphantes regius actually belonged to the Steatoda group of spiders. So, its name changed to Steatoda regius.
- 1994: Finally, scientists discovered that Steatoda regius was also the same spider as the original Lithyphantes lepidus. So, they combined the names, and the spider officially became known as Steatoda lepida.
This long naming journey shows how scientists work together over many years to understand and correctly name all the different species on Earth!
