Namaquarachne thaumatula
| Namaquarachne thaumatula | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Phyxelididae |
| Genus: | Namaquarachne |
| Species: | N. thaumatula
|
| Binomial name | |
| Namaquarachne thaumatula | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Namaquarachne thaumatula is a species of spider in the family Phyxelididae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa.[3]
Distribution
Namaquarachne thaumatula is endemic to the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is known from two localities, Steinkopf and Gams 60.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a ground retreat-web cryptic spider found in the arid Succulent Karoo biome. It has been recorded at elevations ranging from 718 to 870 m above sea level.[3]
Description
Conservation
Namaquarachne thaumatula is listed as Data Deficient by SANBI. The species is known from only two localities, with specimens originally collected in 1904. Mining activities at both sites may pose a threat to the species. More sampling is needed to determine the species range.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Griswold in 1990 from Steinkopf. The species had been previously misidentified as Auximus hottentottus by Purcell in 1908 and as Matundua hottentottus by Pekka Lehtinen in 1967.[3][2]
References
- ^ Griswold, C.E. (1990). "A revision and phylogenetic analysis of the spider subfamily Phyxelidinae (Araneae, Amaurobiidae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 196: 104. hdl:2246/5020.
- ^ a b "Namaquarachne thaumatula Griswold, 1990". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Phyxelididae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 16. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6813843. Retrieved 24 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.