Tangata (spider) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tangata (spider) |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Orsolobidae |
| Genus: | Tangata Forster & Platnick, 1985 |
| Type species | |
| T. nigra Forster & Platnick, 1985
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| Species | |
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17, see text |
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Tangata is a group of small spiders. These spiders are found in the beautiful Polynesian Islands, especially in New Zealand. They belong to a spider family called Orsolobidae. Two scientists, Raymond Robert Forster and Norman I. Platnick, first described these spiders in 1985.
Discovering Tangata Spiders
Tangata spiders are a special type of spider known as araneomorphs. This means they have fangs that move like pincers, from side to side. They are often quite small and can be hard to spot in nature.
Where Tangata Spiders Live
All Tangata spiders live only in the Polynesian Islands. Most of them are found in New Zealand. This makes them unique to this part of the world. Scientists have found them in different areas, from mountains to forests.
Different Kinds of Tangata Spiders
As of June 2019, scientists have found seventeen different kinds, or species, of Tangata spiders. All of these species live only on the Polynesian Islands. Here are the known species:
- Tangata alpina (Forster, 1956) – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata furcata Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata horningi Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata kohuka Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata murihiku Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata nigra Forster & Platnick, 1985 (type) – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata orepukiensis (Forster, 1956) – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata otago Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata parafurcata Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata plena (Forster, 1956) – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata pouaka Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata rakiura (Forster, 1956) – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata stewartensis (Forster, 1956) – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata sylvester Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata tautuku Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata townsendi Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
- Tangata waipoua Forster & Platnick, 1985 – Found in New Zealand
