A newly discovered Australian spider has been given the name “Venomius” in honor of Tom Hardy and his iconic Marvel character, Venom. This new genus, along with its single species, Venomius tomhardyi, was identified during an expedition to Tasmania. The research team behind this discovery consisted of MSc Giullia Rossi, Dr. Pedro Castanheira, and Dr. Volker Framenau from Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, in collaboration with Dr. Renner Baptista from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They published their findings in the open-access journal Evolutionary Systematics.
The inspiration for naming this genus came from Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock and his alter-ego, Venom, in two Marvel films. The spider’s distinctive black spots on its abdomen reminded the scientists of Venom’s head, leading them to choose this unique name.
Venomius belongs to the Araneidae family of spiders, known for building upright circular webs to capture prey. Although it shares some similarities with the related genus Phonognatha, such as the absence of tubercles on the abdomen, the newly described spiders exhibit distinct behaviors. They create silk-lined holes in tree branches for shelter and have different genitalia.
The holotype of this new spider species was discovered and preserved at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery after the expedition to various locations in Australia. Supplementary specimens were also sourced from scientific collections, involving the examination of approximately 12,000 records from institutions both in Australia and overseas.
Dr. Pedro Castanheira emphasized that this discovery is part of a broader effort to document Australia’s entire spider fauna, which holds significance for conservation management plans and ongoing taxonomic and biosystematics initiatives in Australia and New Zealand. MSc Giullia Rossi underscored the importance of describing new spider species to better understand the overall biodiversity of these predators in Australia. The research paper, titled “Venomius, a new monotypic genus of Australian orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae),” was published on September 4, 2023, in Evolutionary Systematics (DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.110022).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Spider Genus Naming
What inspired the naming of the new spider genus “Venomius”?
The naming of the new spider genus “Venomius” was inspired by Tom Hardy’s portrayal of the Marvel character Venom, particularly due to the distinctive black spots on the spider’s abdomen, reminiscent of Venom’s head.
Who were the researchers involved in the discovery of Venomius?
The discovery of the new spider genus “Venomius” was made by a team of scientists from Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, including MSc Giullia Rossi, Dr. Pedro Castanheira, and Dr. Volker Framenau. They collaborated with Dr. Renner Baptista from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
What family of spiders does Venomius belong to, and how does it differ from related genera?
Venomius belongs to the Araneidae family of spiders, known for building upright circular webs to capture prey. While it shares some similarities with the related genus Phonognatha, such as the absence of tubercles on the abdomen, Venomius exhibits distinct behaviors. These spiders create silk-lined holes in tree branches for shelter and have different genitalia.
Where was the holotype of Venomius tomhardyi discovered and preserved?
The holotype of Venomius tomhardyi was discovered and subsequently preserved at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery following an expedition to various locations, including Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.
What is the broader significance of this discovery?
This discovery is part of a long-term effort to document the entire Australian spider fauna. It holds importance for conservation management plans and contributes to ongoing taxonomic and biosystematics research initiatives in Australia and New Zealand. It also aids in understanding the biodiversity of spider predators in Australia.
More about Spider Genus Naming
- Evolutionary Systematics Journal – The journal where the research paper “Venomius, a new monotypic genus of Australian orb-weaving spiders” was published.
- DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.110022 – The digital object identifier (DOI) for the research paper on Venomius.
- Murdoch University – The institution where the scientists from Perth, Australia, who contributed to the research, are affiliated.
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – The institution where Dr. Renner Baptista, one of the researchers involved in the discovery, is affiliated.
- Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery – The museum where the holotype of Venomius tomhardyi was discovered and preserved.
- Marvel – The official website of Marvel, the entertainment company behind the Venom character portrayed by Tom Hardy.
