Spiny Orb Weaver Spider

Description:

Thelacantha brevispina Doleschall, 1857. "Females grow to about 6 to 10 millimetres (0.24 to 0.39 in) long, while males reach a size of 3 to 5 millimetres (0.12 to 0.20 in).[3] Females have six abdominal spines ending in distinct sharp points. Most have two large white spots on the upper surface of their abdomens, which are otherwise mottled with black, brown, and white patterns." Wikipedia.

Habitat:

I was sitting, having a coffee one morning around 9:00 a.m. when my wife who had been strolling under some trees came to me with this little spider suspended from her hand on a silken thread. I didn't think it would be very interesting as it looked rather dark and drab, but she explained that it had descended from a Mango Tree and she thought it had looked interesting when the sunlight hit it. So we placed it on a paper towel and I half-heartedly snapped some pictures with a cell phone and then released the creature. When I looked at the photos later, I was annoyed with myself for having been so careless. Despite the terrible quality of the pictures, I could see that this was a beautifully coloured spider with detailed markings. I vowed to be much more careful next time I saw one. Until now, I have never spotted another. So I learned a valuable lesson.

Notes:

My sincere apologies for the very poor quality of the pictures, but at least (hopefully) they establish one example of T. brevispina being present in my local area. Additionally, I suspect that this specimen is male because of its diminutive size.