Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby

Spider, Neoscona punctigera (Doleschall)

(Araneae: Araneidae)

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

Assistant Professor, Environmental Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences and Curator, Entomology
Section, Museum of Natural History, UP Los Banos

Spider Wrestling and the Filipino

Society punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,

anlalawa
lawlaw‐wa
damang
gagamba
Neoscona

ispayder
g@g@mb@H 

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Spider Wrestling and the Filipino
Society

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Only two countries in the world have spider wrestling 
matches.

It’s a year-round affair… In Kajiki, Japan the townspeople

Neoscona
annually sponsor Kumo Gassen – a
spider wrestling match

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Spider Wrestling and the Filipino

Society punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,

No documented history save Kumo Gassen has been in existence for

for childhood accounts that 409 years
date around the 1970’s.
Yoshihiroko Shimazu, feudal lord of
Satsuma pitted Kogane spiders (female)
against each other to boost the morale of
his soldiers on the front line
Neoscona

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Spider Wrestling and the Filipino
Society

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Neoscona
AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO
San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Spider Wrestling and the Filipino

Society punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Neoscona

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Spider Wrestling and the Filipino
Society
Argiope amoena L. Koch

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Kogane-gumo

Neoscona
First spider to cut her opponent’s
dragline WINS!
AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO
San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Spider Wrestling and the Filipino

Society
Neoscona punctigera (Doleschall)
punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,

Gagambang damo, talahib o kawayan

Neoscona

First spider to injure, amputate or eat her

opponent WINS!
AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO
San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Spider Wrestling and the Filipino
Society

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
TOP ROW : Neoscona vigilans (Blackwall), N. nautica (L. Koch), N. theisi (Walckenaer), 

Neoscona
BOTTOM ROW:  N. aldinei Barrion‐Dupo, N. facundoi Barrion‐Dupo, N. lipana Barrion‐Dupo,
N. albertoi Barrion‐Dupo, N. ampoyae Barrion‐Dupo

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Taxonomy and Conservation

Status punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,

94 Neoscona species have been described

14 species are known to occur in the Philippines
Neoscona

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Taxonomy and Conservation
Status

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
94 Neoscona species have been described
14 species are known to occur in the Philippines
9 species are used in spider wrestling

Neoscona
AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO
San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Taxonomy and Conservation

Status punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,

endemicity, still to be determined

no protection conferred to spiders:

1.areas where they are collected are not protected

areas
2.local ordinances = more focused on the gambling
aspect
3.with children serving as collectors = who shall be
REPRIMANDED?
Neoscona

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Individual Variation and
Polymorphism

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Neoscona
AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO
San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Individual Variation and

Polymorphism punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Neoscona

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Individual Variation and
Polymorphism

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Neoscona
AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO
San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Individual Variation and

Polymorphism punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Neoscona

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Individual Variation and
Polymorphism

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Neoscona
AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO
San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Implications
punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)
Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,

• importance and significance of these

diverse abdominal patterns and their
relation to the complex predator-prey
relationships of terrestrial ecosystems
is poorly studied

•which do we protect now?

Neoscona

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall
 Let’s take a closer look at these
spiders, shall we?

punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
Neoscona
AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO
San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall

Image Credits: punctigera (Doleschall) (Araneae: Araneidae)

Status and Individual Variation of the Philippine Derby Spider,
http://webearnings.blogspot.com/2006/04/philippine-spider-fighting.html

http://www.timawa.net/forum/index.php?topic=14529.105

http://www.cyberoz.net/city/sekine/spfight.htm

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4483686590_1275808fbd_m.jpg

http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/m/ma/matchbox_s
table_for_fighting_spiders.jpg
http://www.batanggenyo.net/2008/12/sabong-ng-gagamba.html

http://www.sportsshooter.com/davidpix/spider/pages/4.html
Neoscona

AIMEE LYNN A. BARRION-DUPO

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture
June 29, 2010
SEARCA Drilon Hall