Systenoplacis vandami
| Roodeplaat Systenoplacis zodariid spider | |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Zodariidae |
| Genus: | Systenoplacis |
| Species: | S. vandami
|
| Binomial name | |
| Systenoplacis vandami (Hewitt, 1916)[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Systenoplacis vandami is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Roodeplaat Systenoplacis zodariid spider.[3]
Distribution
Systenoplacis vandami has a wide distribution across the South African provinces Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, and Northern Cape.[3]
Habitat
The species inhabits multiple biomes including Fynbos, Forest, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, and Savanna at altitudes ranging from 54 to 1,758 m above sea level.[3]
Description
Systenoplacis vandami shows sexual dimorphism in size. Females reach 9.32 mm in total length with a uniform dark brown carapace and reddish brown chelicerae. The abdomen is dark grey with a white spot in front. Males are considerably smaller at 5.9 mm total length with a medium reddish brown carapace and a clear, well-defined white spot on the abdomen along with three spots in a longitudinal row.[4]
Ecology
Systenoplacis vandami are free-running ground spiders. It is presumed that their large pedipalps are used for digging, which has been observed in grassland habitats.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. It is protected in six protected areas.[3]
References
- ^ Hewitt, J. (1916). "Descriptions of new South African spiders". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 5: 212.
- ^ "Systenoplacis vandami (Hewitt, 1916)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Jocqué, R.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2024). The Zodariidae of South Africa. Part 2 (H-T) version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 40. doi:10.5281/zenodo.14568995. Retrieved 20 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ Jocqué, R. (2009). "Some keep it short: on the radiation in the Afrotropical spider genera Capheris and Systenoplacis (Araneae, Zodariidae) without male pedipalp complexity increase". Journal of Afrotropical Zoology. 5: 110.