Spiroctenus lignicola
| Hluhluwe Spiroctenus Trapdoor Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Bemmeridae |
| Genus: | Spiroctenus |
| Species: | S. lignicola
|
| Binomial name | |
| Spiroctenus lignicola Lawrence, 1937
| |
Spiroctenus lignicola is a species of spider in the family Bemmeridae. It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.[1]
The specific name lignicola is Latin for "wood-dweller".
Distribution
Spiroctenus lignicola is known only from the type locality at Hluhluwe Nature Reserve.[2]
Habitat
The species inhabits the Savanna Biome as a ground-dwelling burrow constructor.[2]
Description
Only females of Spiroctenus lignicola are known to science.[3] The spider is light reddish-brown in color with a yellow opisthosoma bearing a brown tree-like pattern marking. The cheliceral furrow has 12 promarginal teeth and 7-8 denticles. The labium bears 16 cuspules and the maxillae have about 50 cuspules. The paired tarsal claws IV have 4-5 teeth on the inner margin and 0-1 teeth on the outer margin. The total length is 19.2 millimeters including chelicerae.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons, as males remain unknown and the full species range requires further study.[2]
References
- ^ "Spiroctenus lignicola Lawrence, 1937". 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 Lawrence, R.F. (1937). "A collection of Arachnida from Zululand". Annals of the Natal Museum. 8: 211–273.