Singafrotypa mandela
| Mandela's Orb-Web Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Singafrotypa |
| Species: | S. mandela
|
| Binomial name | |
| Singafrotypa mandela Kuntner & Hormiga, 2002[1]
| |
Singafrotypa mandela is a species of spider in the family Araneidae.[2] It is a South African endemic commonly known as Mandela's orb-web spider.[3]
Distribution
Singafrotypa mandela is endemic to South Africa.[2] It has been recorded from KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Western Cape.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits altitudes ranging from 9 to 1,148 m above sea level and has been sampled from the Fynbos and Savanna biomes.[3] The natural history of Singafrotypa mandela is unknown, though its cylindrical body with advanced spinnerets might suggest utilization of rolled leaves or grass stems as a retreat on the web.[3]
Description
Conservation
Singafrotypa mandela is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute.[3] The species is probably under collected and is suspected to occur in more localities.[3] It is protected in Mkuze Game Reserve and Table Mountain National Park.[3]
Etymology
This species is named in honor of Nelson Mandela.
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Kuntner & Hormiga in 2002 from Cape Town.[3] The species is known only from females.[3]
References
- ^ Kuntner, M.; Hormiga, G. (2002). "The African spider genus Singafrotypa (Araneae, Araneidae)". Journal of Arachnology. 30: 137. doi:10.1636/0161-8202(2002)030[0129:TASGSA]2.0.CO;2.
- ^ a b "Singafrotypa mandela Kuntner & Hormiga, 2002". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N.; Webb, P. (2022). The Araneidae of South Africa. Version 2: part 3 (Ne-U). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 57. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6326991. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.