Himalayan spider sports Hawaii’s smile but is a distinct new species

Researchers describe Theridion himalayana from Uttarakhand, a Himalayan spider with the same red smile as Hawaii’s happy-face spider, but mitochondrial DNA shows a ~8.5% divergence from Theridion grallator, supporting a distinct new species; the study documents 32 color morphs, various habitats, and flags questions about whether the grin evolved twice or from a shared ancestor.