Researchers from South American institutions have identified a new spider species, Pikelinia floydmuraria, named after the band Pink Floyd and its habitat on building walls. Despite measuring just 3 to 4 millimeters, the spider hunts ants up to six times its body size and targets urban pests like mosquitoes and flies. The findings appear in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
The newly discovered crevice weaver spider, Pikelinia floydmuraria, inhabits building walls in Colombia, earning its name from Pink Floyd's album The Wall. The species name 'muraria' derives from the Latin word for wall. Researchers from institutions including those in Colombia observed the spiders building webs near artificial lights to capture light-attracted insects such as flies (Diptera), mosquitoes (Culicidae), ants (Hymenoptera), and beetles (Coleoptera). These urban-dwelling spiders demonstrate remarkable predatory skill by tackling prey up to six times larger than their prosoma, or body, size, potentially aiding pest control in cities. The study, published in the open-access journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, also provides the first detailed description of the female genitalia of P. fasciata, a related species from the Galápagos Islands first identified in 1902. Strong similarities in male palpal structures between P. floydmuraria and P. fasciata suggest a close evolutionary connection despite the Pacific Ocean separating their habitats. Scientists note uncertainty over whether these traits stem from a shared ancestor or convergent evolution due to similar environments. This marks only the second Pikelinia species recorded in Colombia. Researchers call for further molecular and DNA studies to clarify its origins, evolutionary history, and role in urban pest management. The work was led by Osvaldo Villarreal, Leonardo Delgado-Santa, Julio C. González-Gómez, Germán A. Rodríguez-Castro, Andrea C. Román, Esteban Agudelo, and Luís F. García.
