Spiroctenus pallidipes
| Touws River Spiroctenus Trapdoor Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Bemmeridae |
| Genus: | Spiroctenus |
| Species: | S. pallidipes
|
| Binomial name | |
| Spiroctenus pallidipes Purcell, 1904
| |
Spiroctenus pallidipes is a species of spider in the family Bemmeridae. It is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa.[1]
Distribution
Spiroctenus pallidipes is known only from the type locality at Worcester, at the Touws River Station.[2]
Habitat
The species inhabits the Fynbos Biome and constructs vertical burrows that are enlarged at a depth of 18-23 centimeters into a chamber, with an additional small chamber in the upper wall used as a retreat during danger.[2] The burrows lack a lid or turret.
Description
Both sexes of Spiroctenus pallidipes are known to science.[3] The spider is pale yellowish in color. The carapace with chelicerae is reddish yellow, with the rest being faintly infuscated. The opisthosoma shows a well-defined pattern composed of a series of transverse dark or purplish stripes united by a median longitudinal stripe. The legs are very pale yellowish. The total length is 12.5 millimeters.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons, as more sampling is needed to collect females and determine the species range.[2]
References
- ^ "Spiroctenus pallidipes Purcell, 1904". 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 Purcell, W.F. (1904). "Descriptions of new genera and species of South African spiders". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 15: 115–173.