This “Pink Floyd” spider hunts prey 6x its size and lives in walls

This “Pink Floyd” spider hunts prey 6x its size and lives in walls | ScienceDaily Science News from research organizations This “Pink Floyd” spider hunts prey 6x its size and lives in walls Date: May 1, 2026 Source: Pensoft Publishers Summary: Scientists have uncovered a tiny wall-dwelling spider named Pikelinia floydmuraria, inspired by Pink Floyd. Despite its size, it’s a fierce predator that hunts ants much larger than itself and helps reduce common urban pests like mosquitoes and flies. Its clever strategy of building webs near lights makes it especially effective. The discovery also raises new questions about its mysterious link to similar spiders in the Galápagos. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY Pikelinia floydmuraria, male paratype. Credit: Leonardo Delgado-Santa Researchers from several South American institutions have identified a new species of crevice weaver spider, expanding what scientists know about the Pikelinia genus. The species, named Pikelinia floydmuraria , pays tribute to the legendary band Pink Floyd while also reflecting where the spider lives. The name "muraria," derived from the Latin word for "wall," highlights its tendency to inhabit building walls and subtly references the band's famous album The Wall . The findings were published in the open-access journal Zoosytematics and Evolution . Although P. floydmuraria measures just 3 to 4 millimeters in length, it may play an important role in controlling pests in urban settings. These synanthropic (urban-dwelling) spiders were found to feed mainly on Hymenoptera (such as ants), Diptera (flies and mosquitoes), and Coleoptera (beetles), based on dietary studies of both the new species and a related Pikelinia population in Armenia, Colombia. Scientists observed these spiders capturing ants up to six times larger than their own prosoma (body) size, demonstrating an impressive ability for such a small predator. They also consistently target common hous