by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 5:10 PM ET, Tue August 18, 2026
Scientists have discovered a brand new species at Mashpi Lodge, a luxury eco-hotel in Ecuador.
The new-to-science creatures, dubbed Sidymella ayahuma, are members of the Thomisidae family, commonly known as crab spiders or “fork-tailed” crab spiders. Like other crab spiders, it is an ambush predator that does not spin webs, instead using its long front legs to catch passing insects. Its body is also camouflaged to help it blend in with the surrounding environment.
The name is a nod to Ayahuma, a spirit figure from Andean tradition closely tied to Inti Raymi, the Indigenous celebration marking the winter solstice. Researchers identified the new species based on its body shape and distinctive features, including stout, cone-like projections on its abdomen.
Sidymella ayahuma (Photo Credit: Mashpi Lodge)
They describe the creatures in a paper published in the journal Zootaxa.
“The discovery of Sidymella ayahuma demonstrates that unknown species still exist, even in places that have been studied for many years,” says lead author David Díaz-Guevara, an arachnologist with Ecuador's National Institute of Biodiversity. “It highlights the extraordinary biological richness of Ecuador's Chocó region and the need to continue conducting biodiversity inventories and taxonomic research.”
It’s the 26th new-to-science species discovered at Mashpi Lodge, an upscale, two MICHELIN-key eco-hotel in the heart of Ecuador’s “cloud forest,” a special type of misty, high-altitude rainforest.
The newly renovated biology center at Mashpi Lodge (Photo Credit: Mashpi Lodge)
Located a few hours from Quito, it’s a secluded, design-forward retreat that immerses travelers in nature. Daily expeditions led by expert guides take guests deep into the forest for everything from waterfall swims to wildlife encounters. There’s also an on-site spa, restaurant, newly renovated biology center, butterfly farm and hummingbird garden.
The 24-room hotel supports research within the Mashpi-Tayra Reserve, an 8,000-acre protected swath with an impressive amount of biodiversity. Other new species discovered at Mashpi Lodge include a transparent glass frog and a towering Magnolia tree.
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