Olios freyi
| Congo Olios Huntsman Spider | |
|---|---|
| female | |
| juvenile male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Sparassidae |
| Genus: | Olios |
| Species: | O. freyi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Olios freyi | |
Olios freyi is a species of spider in the family Sparassidae.[2] It is found in Africa and is commonly known as the Congo Olios huntsman spider.[3]
Distribution
Olios freyi is known from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa. In South Africa, it is recorded only from Limpopo Province at an altitude of 552 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species consists of nocturnal plant dwellers that wander around in search of prey on vegetation. They make their silk retreats between two leaves kept together with silk strands. Olios freyi has been sampled from the Savanna biome.[3]
Description
-
female
-
female
-
juvenile male
Conservation
Olios freyi is listed as least concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is under-sampled and expected to occur in more African countries. In South Africa, it is protected in three protected areas, Blouberg Nature Reserve, Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, and Woodbush Forest Reserve.[3]
Taxonomy
Olios freyi was described by Lessert in 1929 from what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species is known only from male specimens.[3]
References
- ^ Lessert, R. de (1929). "Araignées du Congo recueillies au cours de l'expédition organisée par l'American Museum (1909-1915). Troisième partie". Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 36 (1): 103–159. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.117628.
- ^ "Olios freyi Lessert, 1929". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
- ^ a b c d e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Sparassidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 22. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6614498. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.