#paraplectana

[herpsandbirds]

Pink Ladybeetle Spider (Paraplectana thorntoni), family Aranaeidae, South Africa

photograph by Martie Rheeder

[herpsandbirds]

Pink Ladybeetle Spider (Paraplectana thorntoni), family Aranaeidae, southern Cameroon

photograph by Franklin Cyrille Medjo Akono

[umbrellastothesahara]

...so parasect is real (Paraplectana tsushimensis - the “Ladybird Mimic” Spider) [three photographs of the ladybird mimic spider sitting/crouching on a large green leaf taken from various angles. The spider has blood red eyes and a slightly translucent orange body with tiny hairs on its eight legs (only some are properly visible). It has a very large red abdomen covered in yellow markings and big black spots, like it is carrying a big mushroom head on its back. It looks superficially similar to the pokémon parasect]

[an animated gif of the pokémon parasect taken from the anime. It has pearly white eyes and an orange body with six legs. It has a very large red mushroom with yellow spots growing from its back, and is repeatedly firing an orange glittering haze of stun spores toward the viewer, engulfing the screen]

[libutron]

Ladybug mimic spider

It may seem a ladybug, but no, it is such a thing as a ladybug mimic spider, also named Ladybird Spider, and belongs to genus Paraplectana in the Araneidae family. 

Species in the genus Paraplectana are diurnal, small to medium spiders (3-8 mm). The abdomen of this orb-web spider is round and decorated with black spots on a bright yellow or red background.

Ladybird spiders are uncommon but very distinctive, and it is easy to recognize if found. The genus Paraplectana comprises 12 species from Africa and Asia.

Because of the rarity of these spiders (until a few years ago, only females were known in some species of the genus), it is not easy to tell if purpose of mimicry is protection or the capture of prey, though the resemblance may serve both purposes.

References: [1] - [2] - [3] - [4]

Photo credit: ©James Koh [wj]

Locality: Singapore.