Mystaria savannensis
| Striped-leg Beetle Crab Spider | |
|---|---|
| female | |
| female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Thomisidae |
| Genus: | Mystaria |
| Species: | M. savannensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mystaria savannensis Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014[1]
| |
Mystaria savannensis is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae.[2] It is endemic to Africa and is commonly known as the striped-leg beetle crab spider.[3]
Distribution
Mystaria savannensis is found in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.[2]
In South Africa, the species has a wide distribution and is known from five provinces including more than 10 protected areas. Notable locations include Kruger National Park, Blouberg Nature Reserve, Wolkberg Wilderness Area, and Rustenburg Nature Reserve.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Mystaria savannensis is collected mostly from trees or sometimes shrubs by sweeping, beating or fogging.[3]
The species has been sampled from the Savanna biome at altitudes ranging from 131 to 1,556 m.[3]
Individuals have been observed frequently hanging on their own silk thread when disturbed from a branch or twig.[3] The species prefers living on indigenous tree species such as Sclerocarya birrea, Spirostachys africana, Kirkia acuminate, K. wilmsii and Pterocarpus rotundifolius.[3]
Adults occur from October until July, while juveniles occur from October until February.[1]
Gallery
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female
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female
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female
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juvenile male
Conservation
Mystaria savannensis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range.[3] The species is protected in more than 10 reserves.[3]
References
- ^ a b Lewis, A.S.H.; Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. (2014). "Revision of the spider genus Mystaria Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) and the description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region". Zootaxa. 3873 (2): 101–144. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3873.2.1. hdl:2263/50481. PMID 25544210.
- ^ a b "Mystaria savannensis Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Thomisidae of South Africa. Part 2 My-R. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 11. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513276. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.