Cryptachaea blattea
(Urquhart, 1886)
A cobweb spider in the Theridiidae. Native to Africa, it has been introduced to multiple continents including North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Pacific islands. The was redescribed in 2009 with COI sequence data, and Cryptachaea acoreensis was synonymized based on morphological and genetic evidence.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Cryptachaea blattea: /ˌkrɪptəˈkiə ˈblætiə/
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Identification
Distinguished from similar theridiids by morphological features confirmed through COI mitochondrial sequencing. The 2009 redescription provides diagnostic characters separating it from Cryptachaea acoreensis, now synonymized.
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Distribution
Native to Africa; introduced and established in the United States, Chile, the Azores, Madeira, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. Documented from Azorean islands including Corvo, Faial, Flores, Graciosa, and Pico.
Similar Taxa
- Cryptachaea acoreensisJunior synonym synonymized based on morphological and mitochondrial evidence; previously considered distinct but now
More Details
Taxonomic history
Originally described as Theridium blatteus by Urquhart in 1886 from New Zealand. Transferred to Cryptachaea and redescribed in 2009 with inclusion of COI sequence data. Cryptachaea acoreensis (Berland, 1932) from the Azores was synonymized based on combined morphological and genetic evidence.