Palystella namaquensis
| Namaqua palystella huntsman spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Sparassidae |
| Genus: | Palystella |
| Species: | P. namaquensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Palystella namaquensis | |
Palystella namaquensis is a spider species in the family Sparassidae.[2] It is endemic to southern Africa and is commonly known as the Namaqua Palystella huntsman spider.[3]
Distribution
Palystella namaquensis has been recorded from Namibia and South Africa,[2] where it is known only from Klipfontein in the Northern Cape.[3]
Habitat and ecology
Palystella namaquensis is a free-running ground dweller found in arid regions. It has been sampled from under rocks in the Nama Karoo Biome.[3] The species occurs at altitudes of approximately 927 m.[3]
Description
Conservation
Palystella namaquensis is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species is known only from the type locality with a very restricted range. The male remains unknown, and additional sampling is needed to collect males and determine the full extent of the species' distribution.[3]
References
- ^ Lawrence, R.F. (1938). "Transvaal Museum Expedition to South-West Africa and Little Namaqualand, May to August 1937. Spiders". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 19: 215–226.
- ^ a b c "Palystella namaquensis Lawrence, 1938". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ 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. 34. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6614498. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.