Anyphops lycosiformis
| Nkandla Anyphops Flat Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Selenopidae |
| Genus: | Anyphops |
| Species: | A. lycosiformis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Anyphops lycosiformis (Lawrence, 1937)[1]
| |
Anyphops lycosiformis is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Nkandla Anyphops flat spider.
Distribution
Anyphops lycosiformis occurs in two South African provinces: KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. It has been recorded from Ngome State Forest and Nkandla Forest in KwaZulu-Natal, and Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve in Limpopo at altitudes ranging from 687 to 1,129 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits the Forest and Savanna biomes and is a free-living cryptozoic nocturnal ground-dwelling spider.[3]
Description
Only the female is known. The carapace is orange-brown with a light middle central area. The chelicerae are orange-brown with dark marking in the distal portion. The legs are pale orange-yellow with markings consisting of three incomplete rings on the femora and two on the tibiae, while the metatarsi and tarsi are pale yellowish.[3]
The dorsum of the abdomen is pale brown with a light yellowish central area, and the venter is light yellow. The anterior tibiae have 4 pairs of inferior spines. Total length is 7.70 mm.[3]
Conservation
Anyphops lycosiformis is listed as Least Concern. Although only known from one sex, the species has a wide distribution and occurs in protected areas where it is not threatened.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Lawrence (1937) as Selenops lycosiformis from Nkandla Forest in KwaZulu-Natal. It was revised by Corronca (2005).[3]
References
- ^ Lawrence, R.F. (1937). "A collection of Arachnida from Zululand". Annals of the Natal Museum. 8: 211–273.
- ^ "Anyphops lycosiformis (Lawrence, 1937)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ a b c d e f 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. pp. 36–37. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.