Castianeira thalia
This record describes Castianeira thalia (species). Recorded family: Corinnidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
There are two main patterns in this species 1. The basic black & white 2. The black & white with overlying red/orange marking These patterns are alluded to in Reiskind 1969, who comments under Remarks: A single specimen of C. thalia from a population in Piercy, California, has a wide band of red-orange hairs overlying the fundamental black and white hair pattern. Except for this character, the spider is typical of C. tlwlia. This may be an example of an aberrant color form, or perhaps it is part of a polymorphic complex like the one reported in Enoplognatha ovata (= Theridion ooatum) (Geyer, 1967) . My experience (KS) with rearing one female collected in San Francisco, CA was that a penultimate juvenile female lacked the orange-red dorsal abdominal patch but developed it in the final molt: Epigynum Palp
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Arachnida
- Order
- Araneae (Spiders)
- Family
- Corinnidae (Antmimics and Ground Sac Spiders)
- Genus
- Castianeira
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Oregon south into California
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Castianeira thalia. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.
Ecological role of the group
Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.
Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Castianeira thalia (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by john and jane balaban; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , cheins , kschnei
Frequently Asked Questions About Castianeira thalia
What is Castianeira thalia?
Castianeira thalia is a species in the family Corinnidae, within the order Araneae.
How do you identify Castianeira thalia?
There are two main patterns in this species 1. The basic black & white 2. The black & white with overlying red/orange marking These patterns are alluded to in Reiskind 1969, who comments under Remarks: A single specimen of C. thalia from a population in Piercy, California, has a wide band of red-orange hairs overlying the fundamental black and white hair pattern. Except for this character, the spider is typical of C. tlwlia. This may be an example of an aberrant color form, or perhaps it is part of a polymorphic complex like the one reported in Enoplognatha ovata (= Theridion ooatum) (Geyer, 1967) . My experience (KS) with rearing one female collected in San Francisco, CA was that a penultimate juvenile female lacked the orange-red dorsal abdominal patch but developed it in the final molt: Epigynum Palp
Where is Castianeira thalia found?
Range: Oregon south into California