When researchers first identified Taczanowskia waska, they mistook it for a mushroom. Now, thanks in large part to users on the iNaturalist platform, researchers have investigated the specimen and discovered an entirely new species.
The cunning arachnid is thought to impersonate a parasitic fungus to evade detection from predators and prey. According to researchers writing in Zootaxa, this is one of the first documented cases of this kind of mimicry found anywhere on Earth.
Nadine Dupérré from the Museum of Nature Hamburg at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) told Discover that this is the first time a spider has been found to mimic a cordyceps fungus, but the team believes that four other species may have adopted the same tactic.
Taczanowskia waska: Fungus or Spider?
Taczanowskia waska
(Image Courtesy of David Díaz-Guevara)
The discovery was made during a nighttime expedition in the Llanganates-Sangay Corridor, a section of the Ecuadorian Andes celebrated for its species and habitat diversity. Only at the time, it was thought to be a mushroom — or, more specifically, a dead spider that had been infected and killed by a parasitic fungus.
The fungus in question is from the family Cordycipitaceae and the genus Gibellula, a parasite that attacks spiders and alters their behavior, much like zombie-ant fungus. A recently discovered variant, described in Fungal Systems and Evolution and named after the British naturalist David Attenborough, is known to attach itself to cave spiders and cause these typically reclusive arachnids to leave their lair for more exposed areas.
Explore All OptionsLike Gibellula, the spider appeared pale, with small white spikes on its abdomen, and was found motionless on the undersides of leaves. The arachnid also possesses two string-like structures on its abdomen (called tubercles) reminiscent of those found on Gibellula.
According to the study, the researchers believed that the spider was a Gibellula as it didn’t move at all, even when the leaf it was on flipped over. However, when the spider was touched, it did move. From there, the researchers noted that it has nearly translucent legs that stayed very well hidden.
The observers collected the specimen because no one had ever seen a living “cordyceps.” Encouragement from commenters on iNaturalist — an online citizen science platform — led to a scientific examination of the creature, with results suggesting it is a new species. Dupérré said the discovery highlights the role of citizen science.
“Finds like these demonstrate the value of scientific collections. They enable us to classify new species and compare them with historical specimens,” Dupérré said in a statement.
Read More: New Zombie Fungus Is Infecting and Killing Spiders in Irish Caves
What Do We Know About Taczanowskia Waska?
The new species belongs to a rare genus called Taczanowskia, which the researchers describe as “one of the least understood genera of the family Araneidae” — only a handful of specimens have been collected since it was described in 1879. While much of its ecology and behavior remains a mystery, Taczanowskia differs from many arachnids in that it does not build webs but instead actively catches prey.
The description of Taczanowskia waska — named after the Waska Amazonia Foundation — is based on a living specimen found in Ecuador and a second specimen in the Hamburg Museum of Nature in Germany, originally collected in Bolivia in 1903.
The researchers theorize its peculiar appearance offers protection from predators, who write it off as undesirable prey, and tricks prey, who are unthreatened by what appears to be a dead (and fungi-riddled) spider. And according to the researchers, it may not be the only one that employs this kind of deception. Four other species have been identified through iNaturalist and a WordPress blog, which they believe could also display “Cordyceps” mimicry. This includes one from Vietnam, one from Brazil, one from Uganda, and one from Madagascar — all areas where the Gibellula fungus is found.
Moving forward, the team hopes to find more specimens, particularly males, as the two discovered to date are female. Meanwhile, observations in its natural habitat could offer greater clarity over whether it mimics for predation, protection, or both, added Dupérré.
Read More: These 5 Infectious Fungi are a Terror to Insects and Humans
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 references information from a study published in Zootaxa: “The Cordyceps spider”: Taczanowskia waska sp. nov. (Araneae: Araneidae), anew spider species and a novel case of mimicry of an araneopathogenic fungus (Cordycipitaceae: Gibellula)
- This article references information from a study published in Fungal Systems and Evolution: The araneopathogenic genus Gibellula (Cordycipitaceae: Hypocreales) in the British Isles, including a new zombie species on orb-weaving cave spiders (Metainae: Tetragnathidae)
