One of the most recognizable spiders in the world — the Happy-Face spider — was long believed to only exist on the Hawaiian Islands. But now, scientists have discovered a strikingly similar species thousands of miles away in the Indian Himalayas.
The newly described species, Theridion himalayana, or the Himalayan Happy-Face Spider, was found at elevations above 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) in Uttarakhand, India. Sporting a vivid red grin-like pattern on its back, the tiny spider looks remarkably similar to Hawai’i’s iconic Happy-Face spider, Theridion grallator.
According to a new study published in Evolutionary Systematics, although they may look similar, these two spiders come from distinct lineages and evolved their smiley looks separately over half a world away from each other.
Accidentally Discovering a New Happy-Face Spider in the Himalayas
The discovery of this new species of happy-face spider was quite unexpected since the research team wasn’t even looking for spiders in the first place.
Facial markings of a female Himalayan Happy-Face spider.
(Image Credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy/CC BY)
The spider’s discovery happened during fieldwork focused on ants, not arachnids. Researchers exploring high-altitude ecosystems in India’s Himalayan region were documenting insect life when something unusual caught their attention.
“My co-author [Ashirwad Tripathy] kept sending me spiders from high altitude regions for identification. So, one fine day, when he shared this image from the underside of a Daphniphyllum leaf, I froze in shock because I had seen the Hawaiian spider during my master’s programme itself, and I knew instantly we had a jackpot because of its striking resemblance,” said co-author of the study Devi Priyadarshini in a press release.
The team eventually documented 32 different color forms, known as “morphs,” collected from three locations across Uttarakhand. Researchers noted that the region’s unique vegetation and cooler mountain climate make it an ideal place to uncover species that may not exist in India’s lower plains.
Read More: This Newly Discovered Parasite Looks Like a String of Pearls Around a Spider's Neck
Why Is It Called a Happy-Face Spider?
The reason behind the cute name is exactly what you’d think — because it looks like it’s smiling.
The spider’s colorful markings create an unmistakable grin-like shape on its body, resembling that of the Hawaiian Happy-Face spider that has fascinated scientists and nature lovers for decades. But despite the cheerful appearance, researchers still do not fully understand why these spiders evolved such elaborate patterns.
“The reason behind the expression of polymorphism is also very complex and unique. These patterns definitely help them survive better in the wild, which is understood prima facie, but why do they resort to such patterns on their back, and what functional role in their life cycle does it exactly serve is yet to be deciphered,” explained Priyadarshini. “This is definitely indicative of a deeper genetic mystery.”
One clue to its pattern choice could be its neighbors. During this study, the spider was often surrounded by other insects and organisms sporting similar colors, hinting that camouflage or mimicry may play a role.
How the Himalayan Spider Compares to Hawai’i’s Famous Species
A mature male (left) and female (right) Himalayan Happy-Face spider.
(Image Credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy/CC BY)
Although the resemblance is uncanny, the Himalayan Happy-Face spider is not simply Hawai’i’s long-lost twin.
DNA analysis revealed roughly an 8.5 percent genetic difference between T. himalayana and Hawai’i’s T. grallator, confirming the Himalayan spider represents a separate evolutionary branch that developed independently in Asia.
A stranger discovery was that both species seem to share an unusual preference for ginger plants. Researchers frequently found the Himalayan spider on ginger, mirroring the habits of its Hawaiian relative despite ginger not being native to Hawai’i.
“How did the spiders choose an invasive species and ginger exactly?” asked Priyadarshini. “If T. himalayana is an elder cousin of T. grallator, although discovered 125 years later! Although this sounds like a tall claim now, it will be our further scope of work to establish any missing links, if at all.”
In the future, the research team hopes expanded surveys in the Himalayas will uncover even more variations of the smiling spider, and perhaps reveal why evolution seems to have given two distant arachnids the exact same grin.
Read More: Over 100,000 Unlikely Spider Species in a Cave Built the Largest Web in the World
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
- This article includes information from a study published in Evolutionary Systematics: On the discovery of a new polymorphic Happy-Face Spider (Araneae, Theridiidae) from the Western Himalayas, India, with notes on its natural history
