New Frankenstein Spider Found in Thailand Is Half Male and Half Female
Meet the recently discovered Frankenstein-like tropical spider Damarchus inazuma — a striking new species found in the forests of western Thailand. Half its body displays female characteristics, while the other half is distinctly male.
A team of scientists described this rare case of gynandromorphism in a paper published in Zootaxa and explained why they named the new species after a character from the popular manga One Piece.
Discovery of Damarchus inazuma
Hoping to characterize several previously undescribed species in Thailand, researchers collected multiple specimens of an unknown spider in western Thailand. They were preserved in 95 percent ethanol at negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit for further study.
After a detailed examination, scientists from the Center of Excellence in Entomology at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok determined that the newly discovered spider belongs to the genus Damarchus, part of the Bemmeridae family, which is found exclusively across southern Asia in countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Among the specimens, the team identified individuals showing a rare natural trait called gynandromorphism. Some spiders were half-female (larger and orange) and half-male (smaller and grayish), a striking sight, since both sexes differ in size and color. The result is an eerie, almost horror-movie-like appearance.
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What Is Gynandromorphism?
Like most spiders, Damarchus species have two distinct sexes, typically displayed in separate individuals with clear physical differences. However, in rare cases, both sexes can be expressed in one animal — either as hermaphrodites or, in this case, gynandromorphs. The latter is a biological phenomenon where male and female traits appear on opposite sides of the body, caused by an error in cell division just after fertilization.
Gynandromorphism has also been observed in other animals such as butterflies, bees, and even birds. What makes D. inazuma remarkable is that this condition is extremely rare among mygalomorphs, the infraorder that includes Damarchus. Mygalomorphs are considered more primitive spiders, related to tarantulas, characterized by their differently shaped fangs and preference for burrows over complex webs.
Popular Anime-Inspired Name for Bizarre New Spider Species
This discovery marks the first record of a gynandromorph within the Bemmeridae family. Although the classification within the Damarchus genus awaits molecular confirmation, the researchers are confident they’ve identified a new species, with an especially intriguing twist in its appearance.
Once again, pop culture proved a handy source of scientific naming inspiration.
“The species is named after Inazuma, a character from the Japanese manga One Piece, known for the ability to change sex between male and female. The Inazuma style is characterized by bilateral asymmetry, presenting distinct coloration with orange on the left side and white on the right side. This color arrangement closely mirrors the sexual dimorphism observed in this species, with males exhibiting white coloration and females displaying orange,” the researchers wrote in their study.
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