The May Spider of the Month (SOTM) is this ladybird orb-web spider (Paraplectana sp.; Araneidae), photographed by Nicky Bay in Lunda Sul, Angola.
Regarding this find, Nicky said the following:
—
“While setting up our third campsite, our beetle specialist Gimo came up to me with a look of disinterest and passed me a spider that he had found while pitching his tent. It turned out to be a beautiful surprise, as I had been describing the web of Paraplectana to Gimo over the previous weeks. It was only with awesome luck that he had pitched his tent much further down the stream where the Paraplectana was found. Unfortunately, I scoured the area for the next three nights but could not find the male.
Paraplectana is a genus of spiders that specialise in mimicking ladybird beetles. They protect themselves from predators who know that bright colours and ladybird patterns usually mean a bitter, toxic snack.
Olympus EM10 Mark IV, Laowa 50mm 2:1, and Godox MF12 twin flashes triggered by Godox X3. Stack of 8 shots, handheld. Flashes on custom 3D-printed mounts, with DIY diffuser.
Big thank you to the kind sponsors and organisers from The Wilderness Project for making this expedition possible.”
—
There are 13 recorded Paraplectana species in the world, found in Africa and Asia. Two species are recorded from Southern Africa, but there are a few undescribed ones as well, possibly including this one photographed by Nicky. The genus, described by Portuguese arachnologist Félix António de Brito Capello in 1867, means “resembling Plectana”. The genus Plectana is no more and used to contain some of the “spiny” orb weavers, like Gasteracantha, Micrathena, Cyrtarachne, etc. I’m not sure what “plectana” refers to, but it likely refers to a wreath, coil, or net, from the Greek word plektanē.
This is Nicky’s third SOTM in a row. For a day or two, the sheepy jumping spider was short on his heels, at a time trailing by only two votes. On the last day, Nicky’s photo took a 10-vote lead. Of 204 people who voted, his photo received 140 (69%) votes.
It’s difficult not to vote for his awesome photos of the stunning spiders found in other Southern African countries, which are grossly understudied. Nicky also visited Mozambique in 2018 and documented some awesome finds from there as well. Congratulations, Nicky, and thanks to everyone who voted!