Ilisoa knysna
| Knysna Tree Sheet-Web Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Cyatholipidae |
| Genus: | Ilisoa |
| Species: | I. knysna
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ilisoa knysna Griswold, 1987[1]
| |
Ilisoa knysna is a species of spider in the family Cyatholipidae. It is the type species of the genus Ilisoa and is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa.[2][3]
Distribution
Ilisoa knysna is known from three locations in the Western Cape: Brenton-on-Sea, Diepwalle Forest Station, and George. The species occurs at elevations between 99 and 466 metres above sea level.[3]
Habitat
The species builds small horizontal sheet webs in vegetation and was collected in wet forest from the Forest Biome.[3]
Etymology
The species is named after the Knysna district, where it was first discovered.[1]
Conservation
The species is threatened by ongoing habitat loss due to infrastructure development around Brenton-on-Sea and Knysna. It is partly protected in Diepwalle Forest Station and is listed as Vulnerable.[3]
References
- ^ a b Griswold, C.E. (1987). "A review of the southern African spiders of the family Cyatholipidae Simon, 1894 (Araneae: Araneomorphae)". Annals of the Natal Museum. 28: 499–542.
- ^ "Ilisoa knysna Griswold, 1987". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Cyatholipidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. Irene. pp. 1–27. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6759933. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.