This tiny spider, found only in southwestern Australia, joins a bizarre lineup of new Austrlian species which scientists revealed in March 2009.
The females have small spots (above), while males have shields on their abdomens.
The new spider's scientific name, Micropholcomma linnaei
--like those of all the 19 new species--honors Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus, the founder of modern taxonomy, or the science of naming species.
"There are millions of species of animals, plants and other organisms on Earth, and Carolus Linnaeus' 18th-century publications led the way in documenting that diversity," study author Mark Harvey, of the Western Australian Museum, said in a statement.
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Photograph courtesy Mark Harvey, Western Australian Museum