Ancylotrypa vryheidensis
| Vryheid wafer-lid trapdoor spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Cyrtaucheniidae |
| Genus: | Ancylotrypa |
| Species: | A. vryheidensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ancylotrypa vryheidensis (Hewitt, 1915)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Ancylotrypa vryheidensis, commonly known as the Vryheid wafer-lid trapdoor spider, is a species of spider of the genus Ancylotrypa. It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.[1]
Distribution
Ancylotrypa vryheidensis is a KwaZulu-Natal endemic described from Vryheid. It has been recorded from Vryheid, Ndumo Game Reserve, Ngome State Forest, and Tembe Elephant Park, at elevations between 47 and 1154 meters above sea level. The species was abundant (>300 individuals) in Ngome State Forest.[2]
Habitat and ecology
Ground dweller that lives in silk-lined burrows. Males wander in search of females and have been sampled in pitfall traps in the Savanna biome. In Ngome State Forest, it was also sampled from pine plantations, demonstrating its ability to survive in agroforestry plantations.[2]
Description
Only the female has been described for this species.[1]
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the South African Red List. The majority of known subpopulations are from protected areas and the species is able to survive in agroforestry plantations. It is protected in Ndumo Game Reserve, Ngome State Forest, and Tembe Elephant Park.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Ancylotrypa vryheidensis (Hewitt, 1915)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ a b c Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Cyrtaucheniidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 1–37. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6760048. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.