Isoxya mossamedensis
| Angola Isoxya Box Kite Spider | |
|---|---|
| female | |
| female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Isoxya |
| Species: | I. mossamedensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Isoxya mossamedensis | |
Isoxya mossamedensis is a species of spider in the family Araneidae.[2] It is found in southern Africa and is commonly known as the Angola Isoxya box kite spider.[3]
Distribution
Isoxya mossamedensis is found in Angola and South Africa. In South Africa, the species has been recorded from Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and Western Cape.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species has been sampled from Grassland and Nama Karoo biomes at altitudes ranging from 400 to 1,692 m above sea level.[3]
The species makes orb-webs between vegetation. Spiders are found in the web during the day.[3]
Description
Conservation
Isoxya mossamedensis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute despite being rare. The species is protected in the Aardvark Nature Reserve.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Pierre L. G. Benoit in 1962 from Angola. Male identification remains problematic, with the species being known primarily from female specimens.[3]
References
- ^ Benoit, P. L. G. (1962). "Monographie des Araneidae-Gasteracanthinae africains (Araneae)". Annales, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Sciences zoologiques. 112: 1–70.
- ^ "Isoxya mossamedensis Benoit, 1962". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N.; Webb, P. (2022). The Araneidae of South Africa. Version 2: part 2 (E-Ne). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 29. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6619195. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.