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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) » Theridion
Photo#795466
Theridion female with external parasite - Theridion - female
Copyright © 2013 Ken Schneider

Theridion female with external parasite - Theridion - Female
Stulsaft Park, San Mateo County, California, USA
June 29, 2013
Size: 2 mm
I beat this adult female theridiid, presumably a Theridion sp., from Quercus agrifolia. When I examined the specimen later, I saw a white grub-like larva attached to the pedicel, easily visible in retrospect in this live image. It doesn't look like a mantispid larva - maybe a parasitic wasp larva? I'm not sure of the species of Theridion - the epigynum isn't very distinct and I'm having a hard time finding a match in Levi 1957.

Separate close-ups of the parasitic larva are here:


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Theridion female with external parasite - Theridion - female Theridion female with external parasite - Theridion - female Theridion female with external parasite - Theridion - female Theridion female with external parasite - Theridion - female Theridion female with external parasite - Theridion - female
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Contributed by Ken Schneider on 30 June, 2013 - 3:02pm
Last updated 30 June, 2013 - 4:11pm

Probably
Species in the Polysphincta genus group. Taxapad lists a number of species in the group as parasitoids of Theridion.
… Bob Carlson, 30 June, 2013 - 3:31pm login or register to post comments

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