Metaltella simoni

Metaltella simoni is a cribellate spider species in the family Desidae, known for its hacklemesh weaving and distinctive dentition on the chelicerae.^[1]^[2] Native to South America, specifically Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, it was first described by Keyserling in 1878 and has since been introduced to North America, including widespread occurrences in the United States (such as recent establishments in southern California and North Carolina) and Canada.^[1]^[2]^[3] Adult females measure 8–9 mm in body length, with a brown carapace and legs, while males are slightly smaller at 7.0–8.5 mm, featuring a yellow to yellow-orange carapace and legs that darken distally.^[2] Both sexes have a mottled gray abdomen marked by four irregular white stripes on the ventral surface, and they possess 5–6 teeth on each margin of the chelicerae, a feature distinguishing them from other Nearctic species in related families.^[2]^[4] In its native range, M. simoni inhabits various environments, but in introduced areas like Florida—where the first record dates to 1966—it is primarily synanthropic, commonly found in buildings, under logs, bark, or boards, and occasionally on ornamental plants.^[2]^[4] The species constructs irregular, sheet-like webs using cribellate silk produced by a sieve-like cribellum, with males often wandering in search of mates and adults active year-round in subtropical regions.^[2]^[4] Ecologically, M. simoni may pose a competitive threat to native cribellate spiders, such as Titanoeca brunnea in Florida, potentially contributing to the decline of local populations through habitat overlap and resource competition, though coexistence has been observed in some areas.^[2]^[4] Despite its presence in human structures, it is generally inconspicuous and not considered a significant pest or medical concern.^[2]

Taxonomy

Classification

Metaltella simoni belongs to the family Desidae, a group of spiders commonly referred to as hacklemesh weavers, and is placed within the subfamily Metaltellinae.^[1] The genus Metaltella was established by Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão in 1931 and currently includes six valid species, with Metaltella iheringi (Keyserling, 1891) designated as the type species.^[5] Species in the genus are cribellate, featuring a cribellum adjacent to the spinnerets and a calamistrum on metatarsus IV, which together facilitate the production of hackled cribellate silk used in sheet webs; the chelicerae are robust and bear multiple teeth on both the promargin and retromargin.^[6]^[2] Key diagnostic traits for identifying M. simoni encompass the arrangement of eight eyes in two nearly straight transverse rows, with lateral eyes larger than the medians in both sexes. The chelicerae are distinguished by five to six teeth on each margin, a feature unique among Nearctic representatives of the family. Leg spination is reduced, with legs generally lacking prominent spines and exhibiting unnotched trochanters, preening combs on metatarsi III and IV, and three claws; these patterns, combined with the cribellate spinneret configuration including paracribellar spigots on the posterior median and lateral spinnerets, aid in distinguishing the species from congeners and other desids.^[6]^[7]^[2]

Nomenclatural history

Metaltella simoni was first described as Amaurobius simoni by the German arachnologist Eugen von Keyserling in 1878, based on descriptions of male and female specimens collected in Brazil.^[8]^[1] In 1967, Finnish arachnologist Pekka T. Lehtinen transferred the species to the genus Metaltella, which had been established in 1931 by Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão, distinguishing it from Amaurobius based on differences in spinneret structure and cheliceral teeth.^[1] Lehtinen also established synonymies for M. simoni, including Auximus biseriatus Tullgren, 1905, and Auximus crispus Mello-Leitão, 1941, while designating Amaurobius iheringii Keyserling, 1891, as a misidentification.^[1] The name Metaltella simoni remains the accepted binomial in the World Spider Catalog as of November 2025, with no subsequent nomenclatural revisions.^[1]

Description

General morphology

Metaltella simoni is a medium-sized cribellate spider with a total body length of 8–9 mm in females and 7–8.5 mm in males. The carapace is brown in females and yellow to yellow-orange in males, featuring darker frontal areas that aid in camouflage within its environment. In males, the carapace exhibits a distinctive coloration gradient, transitioning from orange-yellow posteriorly to brown anteriorly, while females display a more uniform brown hue.^[2] The abdomen is mottled gray or gray-black dorsally, often marked with indistinct paler chevron patterns toward the rear, and ventrally bears four irregular white stripes.^[2] These patterns contribute to the species' cryptic appearance. The legs of females are brown, with darkened tarsi and metatarsi; males have yellow to yellow-orange legs that darken distally. They follow the relative length formula of I-II-IV-III, featuring standard joint structures adapted for web navigation and prey capture. The chelicerae are robust, equipped with five to six teeth on both the promargin and retromargin; this dentition distinguishes M. simoni as the only known cribellate species in North America with 5–6 teeth on each margin, supporting efficient prey immobilization in its hacklemesh-weaving lifestyle.^[2] The eye arrangement consists of two recurved rows, with four eyes in each, typical for the Desidae.

Sexual dimorphism

Males and females of Metaltella simoni exhibit sexual dimorphism in body size, with females measuring 8 to 9 mm in length and males 7.0 to 8.5 mm.^[2] This size difference is typical for many spider species, where females are larger to support egg production. Coloration also differs between the sexes, with males displaying a more pronounced orange tint: their carapace is yellow to yellow-orange, darkening anteriorly, and their legs are similarly yellow to yellow-orange, darkening distally.^[2] In contrast, females have a brown carapace and brown legs, contributing to a more uniform drab appearance that aids in camouflage within their habitats.

Distribution and habitat

Native range

Metaltella simoni is native to southern South America, with its type locality in Uruguay where it was first described by Keyserling in 1878.^[1] The species occurs in southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, particularly in regions such as southeastern Brazil and the pampas grasslands spanning Uruguay and eastern Argentina.^[2] Historical collection records from the late 19th century onward, including specimens from the type series and subsequent surveys, demonstrate the continuity of native populations across these areas.^[1] The distribution of M. simoni in its native range is influenced by subtropical climates prevalent in southern Brazil, Uruguay, and northern Argentina, which provide suitable conditions for its persistence since initial documentation in 1878.^[9] Ongoing observations confirm its established presence in these countries without evidence of decline in core native habitats.^[2] While introduced to North America in the mid-20th century, the native range remains centered in South America.^[1]

Introduced range

Metaltella simoni, native to South America, was first recorded in North America in Harahan, Louisiana, USA, between July 23 and 30, 1944.^[2] By the early 1970s, the species had become common in Mississippi and parts of Louisiana, where it was frequently found under logs at ground level. Its introduction is attributed to human-mediated transport, likely via cargo ships or agricultural shipments from South American ports to the Gulf Coast.^[10] The spider subsequently expanded eastward and southward, with the first Florida record occurring on March 28, 1966, at St. Andrews State Park in Bay County.^[2] By the 2000s, it had become widespread across Florida, with collections reported from multiple counties including Alachua, Orange, Volusia, Brevard, Lee, Suwannee, and Polk.^[2] Further spread led to establishment in coastal southern California, where it was first collected in the mid-1990s in urban Riverside County and has since become common in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.^[11] Sporadic records also exist in Canada, such as in Alberta.^[12] As of 2025, M. simoni is well-established in the southeastern United States (from Florida to Texas, including Georgia and Alabama) and southwestern United States (coastal California), with additional populations in North Carolina.^[3] Its presence in urban and disturbed habitats suggests potential for further range expansion through continued human transport.^[11]

Habitat preferences

Metaltella simoni is primarily a ground-dwelling spider, favoring moist, dark microhabitats such as under logs, rocks, and within leaf litter. In its native South American range, it inhabits forest floors and areas with low-lying vegetation, where debris accumulation provides shelter and prey availability. These preferences align with its need for high humidity and shaded conditions, typically in subtropical to temperate climates, allowing it to avoid arid or exposed environments.^[2]^[13] In introduced ranges, particularly in the southeastern United States, M. simoni exhibits synanthropic tendencies, frequently occurring indoors in humid locations like bathrooms and basements, as well as near structures such as wood piles and in proximity to water sources. It has been documented in diverse settings including caves, litter under banana trees, and littoral zones, reflecting its adaptability to damp, sheltered sites that mimic native conditions. This spider's habitat selection emphasizes areas with consistent moisture, such as those in sand pine scrub or prairie refuges, where it can thrive in the understory layer.^[2]^[13]^[14]

Biology and ecology

Web-building and foraging behavior

Metaltella simoni is a cribellate hacklemesh weaver that constructs irregular, tangled sheet webs on the ground, often under logs, bark, boards, or in building crevices, using specialized cribellate silk produced from a sieve-like spinning organ called the cribellum.^[2] These webs feature a horizontal sheet of hackled silk, which is a fuzzy, adhesive material formed by combing cribellate threads with a calamistrum on the hind legs, combined with a loose tangle of threads above the sheet to intercept falling or flying prey.^[15] The spider typically includes a tubular silk retreat attached to the web structure, where it rests and stores captured prey.^[16] As an ambush predator, M. simoni positions itself beneath the sheet web, relying on the sticky hackled silk to entangle prey rather than actively pursuing it across distances.^[15] When vibrations signal that an insect has become trapped, the spider rapidly emerges to deliver a venomous bite and envelop the victim in additional silk for immobilization and consumption.^[15] This passive foraging strategy suits its sedentary lifestyle, with the spider maintaining and repairing its web as needed to ensure effective prey capture.^[17] The species exhibits primarily nocturnal activity patterns, actively monitoring its web at night while retreating to the silk tube during the day to avoid desiccation and predators.^[17] Males may wander nocturnally during the reproductive season in search of females, but both sexes generally remain web-bound outside of mating periods.^[17] Its diet consists of small arthropods, including insects such as flies, ants, and beetles, that become ensnared in the web's adhesive silk.^[14]

Reproduction and life cycle

Mating in Metaltella simoni is characterized by male courtship displays involving pseudo-mounts, where the male briefly mounts the female without full copulation, accompanied by gentle cheliceral tapping to stimulate receptivity.^[18] Copulation itself typically lasts a few minutes, during which the female exhibits quiescence, becoming motionless with flexed legs to facilitate sperm transfer via the male's embolus into her convoluted copulatory ducts.^[18] Post-copulation, the female remains quiescent for approximately 5 minutes, with no reported aggression or cannibalism toward the male.^[18] Males exhibit sexual dimorphism in their enlarged palps, adapted for this insertion, while females possess a corresponding epigyne.^[2] Following mating, females produce egg sacs within silk retreats, guarding them in concealed locations such as under bark or in structural voids.^[2] The life cycle of M. simoni includes development from egg to adult, with adults of both sexes present year-round in introduced subtropical regions like Florida.^[2] Juveniles closely resemble adults in morphology but are proportionally smaller and lack full genital maturation. In the native South American range, reproduction is seasonal, with peak activity during warmer months (spring to autumn), aligning with increased male wandering and web-building by gravid females.^[2] In introduced subtropical regions like Florida, adults persist year-round, suggesting extended breeding potential. Females may live for at least two years.^[16]

Ecological interactions

_Metaltella simoni serves as prey for various predators within its ecosystems, including birds, wasps, and other arthropods. Among spider predators, the spitting spider Scytodes globula engages in araneophagy, successfully preying on M. simoni in 28% of observed interactions, often facilitated by the host's risky behaviors such as leaving its retreat or approaching the intruder.^[19] Additionally, M. simoni has been documented as prey for the black widow spider Latrodectus hesperus, the theridiid Steatoda grossa, and the pholcid Holocnemus pluchei in natural settings.^[12] These interactions highlight M. simoni's position as a mid-level consumer in food webs, vulnerable to larger invertebrate and vertebrate predators.^[20] In introduced ranges, M. simoni engages in competition with native spider species, particularly those sharing similar microhabitats. In Florida, it poses a potential threat to the native amaurobiid Titanoeca brunnea by occupying overlapping habitats like leaf litter and logs, which could lead to local extirpation of the native species.^[2] However, studies in southern California indicate community resilience, with no negative associations between M. simoni and native ground-dwelling spiders; instead, positive correlations suggest shared habitat preferences without significant competitive exclusion.^[21] This resilience is attributed to high resource availability in diverse habitats, mitigating invasive impacts.^[21] As an introduced species, M. simoni has minor ecological effects overall, with potential for displacing small native arthropods through predation but no evidence of major biodiversity threats as of 2025. In synanthropic environments, it acts as a generalist predator of small insects, contributing to natural pest control by consuming household arthropods, while serving as prey for larger invertebrates in the broader food web.^[2]