With spindly implements of war and oversized claws , the newly discoveredOtilioleptes marcelaelives in a seemingly inhospitable Patagonian lava thermionic valve and looks like a horrific monster straight out of aRon Underwood flick . Then again , the arachnid is smaller than a coin and exhibits no spite to talk of .
Less terrifying and more challenging , the “ highly particularise ” harvestman is a true troglobite , meaning its stark white pigmentation is an adaptation to a life drop trammel to a cave , never see the Inner Light of 24-hour interval . Other adjustment , including stretch legs and a reduction of eyes , defend a new family of daddy foresighted - legs and the first experience troglobitic harvestman reported from Argentina .
Doña Otilia , a basaltic cave carved from ancient lava , is an “ almost impossible ” home for these arachnids . Lava tubes are comparatively young structures form by volcanic activity . As active lava flows from beneath the Earth ’s encrustation , its outer layers harden when the lava comes into contact with the cold air . Inside , the lava carry on to pour and eventually course downwards and out , carving long thermionic valve underground that may never see the brightness of day . Other harvestmen species have been seen in the region , with a few detached populations found across Patagonian Argentina , but Doña Otilia lack the wet necessary for them to thrive .
Marcela Peralta , a cave biologist , collected several spider specimen while study the 0.8 - klick - long ( 0.5 - mile - long ) Doña Otilia Cave from 2006 to 2012 , reportsGizmodo . They were then sent to zoologist and harvestman expert Luis Acosta at the National University of Cordoba .
“ At first sight I thought I had jejune specimens in my hands , ” Acosta told the issue in an email . “ They are normally useless for descriptive work , so I asked Marcela to ‘ endeavor to collect an adult male person . ’ ”
Their odd - shape consistency and unfitness to see is n’t even the unearthly feature of the spiders . The arachnids miss intimate dimorphism , or a distinct difference in size between two biological sexes . At first , it appeared that all of the specimen collected by Peralta were juvenile . A closer feel bring out that they were , in fact , all adult representing both sexes . In exceptional , males show a unambiguously shaped member described inPLOS Oneas “ elongated , very slender , and straight ” .
specialised mintage such asOtilioleptescan reveal information about the biogeographical and evolutionary characteristic of ancient metal money who thrive in such isolated environment today . Acosta believes thatOtilioleptesmay have split to its current lineage sometime between 11 and 16 million year ago .
With such unique pocket of species comes great hazard . An “ urgent need ” to protect the new coinage and its cave surround is in purchase order if scientists hope to determine more . Its frail , isolated habitat means that even the svelte hurly burly could alter the puzzling species ' aliveness cps eternally .
