Capobula

Capobula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Trachelidae
Genus: Capobula
Haddad, Jin, Platnick & Booysen, 2021[1]
Type species
Orthobula infima
(Simon, 1896)
Species

5, see text

Capobula is a genus of southern African spiders in the family Trachelidae. The type species was first described by Eugène Simon from a juvenile found in South Africa. It was placed with Orthobula for several morphological similarities, including a large sclerite beneath the abdomen and spines behind several of the legs.[2] After a more thorough examination in 2021, including both male and female adults, enough distinctive features were found in the holotype and several other newly discovered species to warrant a new genus.[3]

Distribution

All described species are endemic to South Africa (with one also found in Lesotho).

Species

As of October 2025, this genus includes five species:[1]

  • Capobula capensis Haddad, Jin, Platnick & Booysen, 2021South Africa
  • Capobula infima (Simon, 1896) – South Africa (type species)
  • Capobula montana Haddad, Jin, Platnick & Booysen, 2021 – South Africa, Lesotho
  • Capobula neethlingi Haddad, Jin, Platnick & Booysen, 2021 – South Africa
  • Capobula ukhahlamba Haddad, Jin, Platnick & Booysen, 2021 – South Africa

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Gen. Capobula Haddad, Jin, Platnick & Booysen, 2021". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  2. ^ Simon, E. (1896). "Descriptions d'arachnides nouveaux de la famille des Clubionidae" [Descriptions of new arachnids of the family Clubionidae]. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique (in French). 40 (9): 400–422.
  3. ^ Haddad, C. R.; Jin, C.; Platnick, N. I.; et al. (2021). "Capobula gen. nov., a new Afrotropical dark sac spider genus related to Orthobula Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Trachelidae)". Zootaxa. 4942 (1): 41–71. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4942.1.2.