Anelosimus pratchetti
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| Anelosimus pratchetti | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Anelosimus |
| Species: | A. pratchetti |
| Binomial name | |
| Anelosimus pratchetti I. Agnarsson, 2012 | |
Anelosimus pratchetti is a species of tangle-web spider found in New South Wales, Australia. Initial field observations indicate it is a subsocial spider. It lives in low elevation environments, including beachfront mangrove forests. It was identified by Ingi Agnarsson in 2012, who named the species after Terry Pratchett, whom Agnarsson described as "a comic genius".[1]
The total length of the spider is approximately 2.4 to 3.6 millimetres (0.094 to 0.142 in), with females slightly larger than the males. The colouration pattern is similar to others in its genus: the prosoma is light yellow with grey lines, while the abdomen is lighter in colour with spots clustering off the midline.[1]
Its primary diagnostic characteristic is the shape of the genitals. In males, the embolus is corkscrew-shaped. A similar shape is found in Anelosimus luckyi, although the embolus is longer in A. pratchetti. The female can be distinguished from others in the genus by the shape of the copulatory ducts and a unique triangular epigynal plate.[1]