Parasteatoda
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| Parasteatoda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| P. tepidariorum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Parasteatoda Archer, 1946[1] |
| Type species | |
| P. tepidariorum (C. L. Koch, 1841) | |
| Species | |
|
42, see text | |
Parasteatoda is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Allan Frost Archer in 1946.[2]
The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek "para-" (παρά), meaning "near" or "next to", and the theridiid genus Steatoda.
Description
Parasteatoda species have a characteristic teardrop-shaped abdomen, with the anterior section much higher than the carapace and the spinnerets pointed downwards. The abdomen's colouration is highly variable, both between and often within species. They have slight sexual dimorphism; males are visually similar to females, although slightly smaller.[4]
The carapace is oval. The stridulating apparatus of the male is present as a partial lunate plate on either side of the pedicel. The abdomen is nearly spherical, usually with a small posterior projection.[5]
The basic colour ranges from greyish brown to blackish brown, while some are bright orange, with a broad, longitudinal cardiac pattern and some transverse spots. The leg formula is 1243 in males and 1423 in females.[5]
