A group of researchers from the Chulalongkorn University Museum of Natural History in Bangkok has discovered a series of specimens of a still unknown species of spider: by identifying and naming it, they discovered that many of its specimens are gynandromorphic – that is, they have both male and female characteristics, to the point that their body is “split in half”. The spider was described in a study published in Zootaxa.
Who is this spider? Let’s start from the beginning: the spider was discovered in a forest near Nong Rong, in the Phanom Tuan district of Thailand. The collected specimens were taken to the Bangkok museum, where they were subjected to the usual analyzes that are carried out when the presence of a new species is suspected. The spider has been identified as belonging to the infraorder dei Mygalomorphaea group which includes mygals and burrow spiders.
The animal was placed in the genus Damarchuspresent throughout Southeast Asia and famous among spider experts for the Y-shaped burrows in which it hides waiting for prey. There is still no confirmation from a molecular point of view regarding the location, but unless there is any denial for the moment, the new spider has been named Damarchus inazuma.
Why is it called that? If you are a fan of manga you will have recognized the name: Inazuma is a character of One Piececapable of changing sex at will. The new spider does not have the same power, but it has an even more interesting characteristic: some specimens are gynandromorphic, or if you prefer “half male half female”. Gynandromorphism is different from hermaphroditism, which involves the “coexistence” of male and female characters: gynandromorphic animals are divided perfectly in half, and have one half of the body with male characters and one with female characters.
An uncommon feature. It is therefore a bilateral asymmetry, made evident by the fact that males and females of this spider are very different colors. It is a very rare condition in nature, much less widespread than hermaphroditism and about which very little is known: we still have no idea of the precise causes of the phenomenon. Here’s why Damarchus inazuma It’s a doubly exciting discovery: not only is it a new species, but it has very rare characteristics, and not just among spiders.
