First evidence of aggressive chemical mimicry in the malagasy orb weaving spider exechocentrus lancearius simon, 1889 (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneidae) and description of a second species in the genus

Abstract

The araneid genus Exechocentrus Simon, 1889 and its type species Exechocentrus lancearius were originally described based on a single female specimen from Madagascar, which was missing the abdomen. The first complete adult specimen, a female, of Excechocentrus lancearius was collected in 2000. A second adult female of Excechocentrus sp. was discovered in 2009, about 300 km away from the first locality. We redescribe the neotype of Exechocentrus lancearius and describe the second adult female as Exechocentrus madilina new species. We also report some observations on the natural history of Exechocentrus lancearius, including photographs of its highly modified foraging web, which provide indirect evidence of aggressive chemical mimicry. © Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung.