Hortipes merwei
| Van der Merwe's basket-legged spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Corinnidae |
| Genus: | Hortipes |
| Species: | H. merwei
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hortipes merwei Bosselaers & Jocqué, 2000[1]
| |
Hortipes merwei is a species of spider in the family Corinnidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Van der Merwe's basket-legged spider.[3]
Distribution
Hortipes merwei is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.[3] It has been recorded from several localities including iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Ngome State Forest, Ophathe Game Reserve, and Dukuduku Forest Station.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits Forest, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 4 to 1,061 m above sea level.[3] It is strongly associated with leaf litter in woodland and forest habitats, particularly Southern Mistbelt Forest.[3] The species has also been found in commercial pine plantations.[3]
Description
Hortipes merwei is known from both sexes.[3]
Conservation
Hortipes merwei is listed as Vulnerable by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its small distribution range.[3] The species is relatively widespread in northern KwaZulu-Natal and is quite common in litter samples.[3] It is protected in three protected areas but faces threats from habitat loss due to agricultural activities, silviculture, and degradation around Lake St. Lucia.[3]
References
- ^ Bosselaers, J.; Jocqué, R. (2000). "Hortipes, a huge genus of tiny Afrotropical spiders (Araneae, Liocranidae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 256: 1–108. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2000)256<0004:HAHGOT>2.0.CO;2.
- ^ "Hortipes merwei Bosselaers & Jocqué, 2000". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Haddad, C.R.; Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). The Corinnidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 49. doi:10.5281/zenodo.8300753. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.