Selenops kruegeri
| Krugerpark Selenops Flat Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Selenopidae |
| Genus: | Selenops |
| Species: | S. kruegeri
|
| Binomial name | |
| Selenops kruegeri | |
Selenops kruegeri is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae.[2] It is found in Nigeria, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa and is commonly known as the Krugerpark Selenops flat spider.[3]
Distribution
Selenops kruegeri is found in Nigeria, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In South Africa, it occurs in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape provinces at altitudes ranging from 418 to 1,415 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits the Grassland and Savanna biomes and is a free-living cryptozoic nocturnal ground living spider.[3]
Description
Known only from the female, which can be distinguished from related species by the shape of the epigynal pockets and the shape of the spermathecae. S. kruegeri is easily separated from S. radiatus by the color pattern of the opisthosoma. Total length 12-13 mm.[3]
Conservation
Selenops kruegeri is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in Sabie Reserve and Kruger National Park.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Lawrence in 1940 from Sabie Reserve in Mpumalanga. It was last revised by Corronca in 2002.[3]
References
- ^ Lawrence, R.F. (1940). "The genus Selenops (Araneae) in South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 32: 555–608.
- ^ "Selenops krugeri Lawrence, 1940". 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. p. 73. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.