Heritable-symbionts
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Mermessus albulus
Mermessus albulus is a species of sheet-web weaving spider in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Zorsch and Crosby in 1934. It belongs to a genus that has become notable in recent research as a model system for studying heritable bacterial symbionts and their effects on host reproduction. Related species in the genus, such as Mermessus fradeorum, host complex symbiont communities including Rickettsiella, Wolbachia, and Tisiphia, which can induce feminization in genetic males. The specific biology of M. albulus itself remains poorly documented in published literature.