Oxyopes castaneus

Lawrence's Lynx Spider
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Oxyopidae
Genus: Oxyopes
Species:
O. castaneus
Binomial name
Oxyopes castaneus
Lawrence, 1927[1]

Oxyopes castaneus is a species of spider in the family Oxyopidae.[2] It is commonly known as Lawrence's lynx spider.[3]

Distribution

Oxyopes castaneus occurs in Namibia and South Africa.[2] In South Africa, the species is known only from a single locality in KwaZulu-Natal at 42 m above sea level.[3]

Habitat and ecology

The species has been found on grasses within the Savanna biome.[3] Due to the limited collection data, more sampling is needed to fully understand its ecological preferences and distribution range.

Description

Oxyopes castaneus is known only from males.[3]

Conservation

Oxyopes castaneus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute.[3] Despite being known from only one sex and having a limited known range, the large distance between collection locations suggests the species may be under-collected. It is protected in Ndumo Game Reserve.

References

  1. ^ Lawrence, R.F. (1927). "Contributions to a knowledge of the fauna of South-West Africa V. Arachnida". Annals of the South African Museum. 25: 56.
  2. ^ a b "Oxyopes castaneus Lawrence, 1927". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Oxyopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 18. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6450695. Retrieved 21 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.