Small creature — with unusual genitalia — found burrowing in sand. It’s a new species
A small eight-legged creature burrows into the sand, scurrying into the ground where she will feed. That’s when a bright light gleams overhead.
She has been discovered by researchers.
Experts identified the tiny spider — and four other specimens — as a new species in Argentina, according to a study published Sept. 26 in the journal Zoosystema. The new species is the eighth type of Acanthogonatus known in Argentina.
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Co-authors Nelson Ferretti, Mariana Mancini and Fiorella Signorotto identified the new species of small spider as Acanthogonatus messii, the study said.
Researchers said they collected two males and three females from a sandy area in Escalante. Female specimens measured about 0.47 inches long while males measured about 0.36 inches.
The spiders are light brown with dark grooves and a black chevron pattern on their backs, the study said. Both males and females are distinguished from other species of Acanthogonatus by their distinctly shaped genitalia.
Scientists said they found the females in burrows at night whenthey were “actively feeding.” One male was found walking nearby at the same time.
The species was named after soccer star Lionel Messi, who is from Argentina and currently plays for Inter Miami CF.
The authors, who named the spider before Messi led Argentina to its third World Cup win in 2022, think the name could have foreshadowed the victory, Ferretti told McClatchy news in an email.
“This new species was dedicated to Lionel Messi before...winning the third World Cup by Argentina,” Ferretti said. “We didn’t know the final result, so it worked like a ‘cabala’ or amulet.”
The species is only known to live in Escalante, which is in the Chubut Province in southeastern Argentina.
This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Small creature — with unusual genitalia — found burrowing in sand. It’s a new species."
