Anyphops civicus
| Burgersdorp Anyphops Flat Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Selenopidae |
| Genus: | Anyphops |
| Species: | A. civicus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Anyphops civicus (Lawrence, 1940)[1]
| |
Anyphops civicus is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Burgersdorp anyphops flat spider.[3]
Distribution
Anyphops civicus is found in South Africa.[2] The species occurs in the Eastern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, at altitudes ranging from 291 to 1417 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits Grassland, Nama Karoo, and Savanna biomes.[3] These are free-living cryptozoic nocturnal spiders.[3]
Description
The species is known from both sexes.[3] The markings of the carapace form a fairly well-defined crenulated submarginal band, with sides having a narrow blackish margin and between this and the submarginal band some blackish-brown spots. The foveal radiations are indistinct.[3]
The legs have markings similar to A. karrooicus. The opisthosoma above has some indistinct brown markings on the posterior half, including some indistinct A-shaped markings. Anterior tibiae have 5 pairs of inferior spines. Total length is 7-12.5 mm.[3]
Conservation
Anyphops civicus is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range.[3] There are no known threats to the species. It is protected in Ngome State Forest.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by R. F. Lawrence in 1940 as Selenops civicus from Burghersdorp in the Eastern Cape.[1] It was transferred to the genus Anyphops by Benoit in 1968.[3]
References
- ^ a b Lawrence, R.F. (1940). "The genus Selenops (Araneae) in South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 32: 574.
- ^ a b "Anyphops civicus (Lawrence, 1940)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Selenopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 18. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.