Rolled-leaf Comb-footed Spider
The species name of this common Southeast Asian spider is derived from the Latin word "mundus", meaning "like the earth", and alludes to the nearly spherical shape of the female abdomen. It is easily recognised by the characteristic pattern of a pair of brackets (with side branches) on the dorsum. Most individuals are shades of brown overall, but in some the abdomen is green.
| Length | ♀ 4–5 mm; ♂ 1–2 mm. |
| Habitat | Low vegetation in gardens, rural areas and disturbed forests. |
| Biology | The female builds a three-dimensional web with a leaf retreat suspended in the centre. The leaf is collected by the spider and carried into the web. It is fastened with silk threads at one end to form a tubular hiding place for the spider and for its pinkish brown and globular but easily flattened egg sacs. |
| Type Locality | Port MacKay, Queensland, Australia. |
| Distribution | Australia, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah), Myanmar, Singapore. |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
Holotype
Zoologisches Museum Hamburg (ZMH), Hamburg, Germany; ♀ (A0000850) (Chrysanthus, 1963)
Holotype
Naturalis, National Museum of Natural History (RMNH), Leiden, Netherlands; (Syn: Nihonhimea mundula papuana) ♀ (ARA.P.27) (Chrysanthus, 1963)
Theridium mundulum (Original description ♀)
L. Koch, 1872a Die Arachniden Australiens, nach der Natur beschrieben und abgebildet [Erster Theil, Lieferung 3-7]: 263, pl. 22, f. 3 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.121660
Theridion amoenum (Original description ♀)
Nihonhimea mundula (Synonym of Theridion amoenum)
Thorell, 1895b Descriptive catalogue of the spiders of Burma, based upon the collection made by Eugene W. Oates and preserved in the British Museum: 99 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.17492
Theridium mundulum (♀)
Workman, 1896 Malaysian spiders: 68, pl. 68 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.101972
Theridion amoenum (Original description ♂)
Hogg, 1919 Spiders collected in Korinchi, West Sumatra by Messrs H: 83
Achaearanea mundula papuana (Original description ♀)
Chrysanthus, 1963 Spiders from south New Guinea V: 741, f. 78-82
Achaearanea mundula (♀)
Zhu, 1998 Fauna Sinica: Arachnida: Araneae: Theridiidae: 100, f. 59A-C
Achaearanea mundula (♀)
Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999 The spiders of China: 91, f. 40I-J
Parasteatoda amoena (possibly valid, Synonym of Achaearanea mundula papuana)
Saaristo, 2006 Theridiid or cobweb spiders of the granitic Seychelles islands (Araneae, Theridiidae): 70
Parasteatoda mundula (♂♀)
Saaristo, 2010 Araneae: 261, f. 37.95-101
Nihonhimea mundula (Transferred from Parasteatoda)
Yoshida, 2016 Parasteatoda, Campanicola, Cryptachaea and two new genera (Araneae: Theridiidae) from Japan: 22
Australia, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah), Myanmar, Singapore.