In the vast universe of arachnids, a name has just appeared that is destined to arouse the curiosity of even those who don’t particularly like spiders. It is called Pikelinia floydmuraria and is a new species discovered in Colombia by a group of South American researchers. But what makes this little predator special is not only its hunting ability: its name is in fact a direct homage to the legendary Pink Floyd and their most iconic album, The Wall. The reference is double. On the one hand “floyd” recalls the historic British band, on the other “muraria” refers both to the walls within which the spider lives and to the imagery evoked by the famous album published in 1979.
He lives hidden in the cracks of houses
The new arachnid belongs to the Filistatidae family, spiders known for building webs inside cracks, cracks and small crevices. It is no coincidence that in English they are nicknamed “crevice weavers”. Pikelinia floydmuraria it measures just 3 or 4 millimetres, dimensions so small as to make it almost invisible to the naked eye. It was identified in the department of Tolima, in Colombia, after very in-depth observations precisely because it spends its life hidden between walls, cavities and urban surfaces. Scholars define it as a synanthropic animal, that is, perfectly adapted to the environments frequented by humans. In practice it lives next to us, often without us realizing it.
The urban predator that exploits artificial lights
Despite its microscopic size, this spider has proven to be a surprisingly effective hunter. In fact, it can capture insects up to six times larger than its body, including flies, mosquitoes and ants. According to researchers, the secret lies in its hunting strategy. The spider builds its webs near artificial lights, taking advantage of the constant coming and going of insects attracted by the night lamps. A sort of perfect urban trap, which transforms illuminated windows and city walls into real gathering points for prey. This behavior could also have an interesting ecological impact, contributing to the natural control of some insects considered pests in cities.
A discovery that combines science and pop culture
The new species was described in a study published in the scientific journal Zoosystematics and Evolution and represents the second animal dedicated to Pink Floyd after a species of shrimp discovered in recent years. In addition to the curious aspect of the name, Pikelinia floydmuraria it also tells how little known urban biodiversity still is. Even in the cracks of a wall, among the concrete and city lights, species never observed before can hide. And this time, what surprised us was a tiny spider with a rock soul.
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