Spiroctenus curvipes
| Utrecht Spiroctenus Trapdoor Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Bemmeridae |
| Genus: | Spiroctenus |
| Species: | S. curvipes
|
| Binomial name | |
| Spiroctenus curvipes Hewitt, 1919
| |
Spiroctenus curvipes is a species of spider in the family Bemmeridae. It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.[1]
Distribution
Spiroctenus curvipes is known only from the type locality at Klipspruit, Utrecht.[2]
Habitat
The species inhabits the Savanna Biome as a ground-dwelling burrow constructor.[2]
Description
Both sexes of Spiroctenus curvipes are known to science.[3] Males have the anterior portion and sides of the carapace pale with a reddish tinge, while the hinder portion is dark. The legs are dark, almost black, except the coxae of the first two pairs which are reddish yellow. The sternum and all coxae are reddish yellow below. The opisthosoma is dark above with indistinct darker cross stripes broken in the middle, and pale below. The total length of males is 11 millimeters. Females have a pale olivaceous carapace and legs, but the mesial area of the cephalic region has sparsely scattered black hairs. The abdomen shows dark oblique cross stripes on each side above except in front where it is uniformly infuscated, but is pale ventrally and laterally. The total length of females is 21 millimeters.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Data Deficient, as more sampling is needed to determine the species range.[2]
References
- ^ "Spiroctenus curvipes Hewitt, 1919". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ a b c Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Bemmeridae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. Irene. pp. 1–41. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7810486. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ a b Hewitt, J. (1919). "Descriptions of new South African Araneae and Solifugae". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 6: 63–111.