Theridion grallator
| Theridion grallator | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota | 
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Arthropoda | 
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata | 
| Class: | Arachnida | 
| Order: | Araneae | 
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae | 
| Family: | Theridiidae | 
| Genus: | Theridion | 
| Species: | T. grallator | 
| Binomial name | |
| Theridion grallator Simon, 1900 | |
Theridion grallator, also known as the Hawaiian happy-face spider, is a spider in the family Theridiidae that resides on the Hawaiian Islands. T. grallator gets its vernacular name of "Hawaiian happy-face spider" from the unique patterns superimposed on its abdomen, specifically those that resemble a smiley face. T. grallator is particularly notable because of its wide range of polymorphisms that may be studied to allow a better understanding of evolutionary mechanisms. In addition to the variety of color polymorphisms present, T. grallator demonstrates the interesting quality of diet-induced color change, in which its appearance temporarily changes as it metabolizes various food items.