Exechocentrus lancearius
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| Exechocentrus lancearius | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Exechocentrus |
| Species: | E. lancearius |
| Binomial name | |
| Exechocentrus lancearius | |
Exechocentrus lancearius is a species of spider in the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae, found only in Madagascar.[1] It was initially described from a partial specimen of an adult female. The first description of a complete specimen and its prey-catching behaviour was published in 2012. E. lancearius is a bolas spider. Rather than using a web, adult females catch their prey by using a line with one or two sticky drops (a "bolas") which they swing.
The neotype female was described by Scharff and Hormiga in 2012. The total length of the body is 3.9 mm. The cephalothorax is about 2.0 mm long and wide, and the abdomen 2.7 mm long and 3.9 mm wide. (The abdomen overlaps the cephalothorax.) The cephalothorax is pear-shaped and has four spine-like projections, one pointing forwards and three in a triangle behind it. The carapace is yellowish white with a white central stripe and dark brown markings. The sternum is blackish brown. The legs are yellowish white with orange brown markings. The first leg is the longest, being 12.4 mm from the femur to the tarsus. The abdomen is somewhat heart-shaped with two long projections at the rear. It is whitish on the upper surface with dark sigilla, and yellowish brown on the lower surface with a broad black band in the centre. The epigyne has a projecting hardened U-shaped lip. The male is unknown.[2]
