A new spider is named after Tom Hardy’s Venom

A new spider has been discovered in Australia, and researchers have named it after the Spider-Man villain Venom. Well, more specifically, the genus of the spider is called Venomius, and this current species – which so far is the only part of the family – is known as Venomius tomhardyi.

Like Araneidae spiders, the genus Venomius creates upright circular webs to capture their prey. The connection to Venom was made when researchers noticed the strange markings on the spider’s back.

What distinguishes the Venomius family from other similar-looking spiders is that they make silk-lined holes in the branches of trees for shelter. Over time, we may see more species join this genus, and each may be named after different characters who have adopted the symbiote in comics and movies.