Idiops gunningi
| Gunning's Idiops Trapdoor Spider | |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Idiopidae |
| Genus: | Idiops |
| Species: | I. gunningi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Idiops gunningi Hewitt, 1913[1]
| |
Idiops gunningi is a species of spider in the family Idiopidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Gunning's Idiops trapdoor spider.[3]
Distribution
Idiops gunningi is recorded from two provinces in South Africa, Gauteng and Limpopo. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 238 to 1,438 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits the Grassland and Savanna biomes. It lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a trapdoor. The burrows are situated amongst grass with lids covered with pieces of dry grass attached to them. The lid is provided on the underside with minute holes, has a broad hinge, and is D-shaped.[3]
Description
Idiops gunningi is known only from females. The carapace and appendages are dark brown, while the abdomen is fuscous.[3]
Conservation
Idiops gunningi is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons. The species is protected in Groenkloof Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was described by John Hewitt in 1913 from Zwartspruit. Hewitt described a subspecies Idiops gunningi elongatus in 1915 based on four adult specimens from Moorddrift Waterberg. The species has not been revised and more sampling is needed to collect males.[3]
References
- ^ Hewitt, J. (1913). "Descriptions of new and little known species of trapdoor spiders (Ctenizidae and Migidae) from South Africa". Records of the Albany Museum Grahamstown. 2: 404–434.
- ^ "Idiops gunningi Hewitt, 1913". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Idiopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 40. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6324502. Retrieved 23 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.