Paraplectana thorntoni

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Thornton's Red Ladybird Spider (Paraplectana thorntoni)

Paraplectana thorntoni is a spider in the Araneidae family, commonly known as Thornton's red ladybird spider. It is an African endemic species that was first described in 1865 by John Blackwall as Eurysoma thorntoni from Mozambique, near the Shire River.

Distribution and habitat: The spider is known from Mozambique, Ghana, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, and Yemen. In South Africa it is rare but has been recorded in six provinces at elevations from 49 to 1,303 meters. Provinces include Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Western Cape, with localities such as Kentani, Beechamwood, Pretoria, Estcourt, Polokwane, Nelspruit, Garden Route National Park, and Mossel Bay. It inhabits Fynbos, Grassland, and Savanna biomes.

Appearance and behavior: Thornton's red ladybird spider builds long spanning thread orb-webs at night and rests on vegetation by day, where it looks like a ladybird beetle.

Mimicry: The species may be part of a mimicry complex that includes two tortoise beetles (Chiridopsis suffriani and the normal form of C. nigrosepte) and a beetle called Cheilonomes lunata.

Conservation: Paraplectana thorntoni is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographic range. It is protected in Pongola Nature Reserve and Garden Route National Park. There are no major threats known. It is currently known only from the female.