Hawaii's famous “happy-face” spider has a surprising relative
Scientists have discovered a new species of spider in the Himalayas that bears a striking resemblance to the famous Hawaiian 'happy-face' spider. The discovery was accidental, occurring during a survey focused on ants in the Uttarakhand region of India.
Why it matters
The find highlights the importance of biodiversity surveys and suggests that similar polymorphic species may exist in high-altitude regions across the globe.
A tiny spider with a bright red smile on its back has surprised scientists by turning up thousands of miles from where they thought its famous relatives lived. For more than 100 years, the Happy Face spider was believed to exist only in Hawaii, making it one of the world's most recognizable and unusual arachnids.
The article is a neutral report on a biological discovery.
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