Media release

From: Murdoch University

Murdoch University arachnologists and soccer fans, Dr Volker Framenau and Dr Pedro Castanheira, have described a new spider genus and named it after their favourite game.

The new genus of orb-weaving spider has unique abdominal tubercles and genitalia and has been named Socca Framenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022, Latin of the English word ‘soccer’.

Two highlights within Socca are the species Socca johnnywarreni Framenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022 named after the famous Australian soccer player Johnny Warren MBE, OAM (1943–2004), and Socca pleia Framenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022 named as a random combination of letters, reminiscent of the English word ‘player’ and thereby genus and species name sound like ‘soccer player’.

The scientists are from Murdoch's Harry Butler Institute.