Paroecobius nicolaii
| Nicolai's Large-Eyed Ant Eater | |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Oecobiidae |
| Genus: | Paroecobius |
| Species: | P. nicolaii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Paroecobius nicolaii Wunderlich, 1995[1]
| |
Paroecobius nicolaii is a species of spider in the family Oecobiidae.[2] It is commonly known as Nicolai's large-eyed ant eater and is endemic to South Africa.[3]
Distribution
Paroecobius nicolaii is a South African endemic known from three provinces: Free State, Limpopo, and North West.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species lives inside shallow crevices of rocks and bark of Marula and Paperbark trees, covered with a silk hammock, which is usually open at two ends. The species has been sampled from the Savanna biome at altitudes ranging from 1,155 to 1,556 m above sea level. At Wyndford Guest Farm, specimens run very fast from one web to another when disturbed.[3]
Description
-
female
Conservation
Paroecobius nicolaii is listed as Data Deficient by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species is under-collected and more sampling is needed to determine its range. There are no known threats to the species.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was described by Wunderlich in 1995, based on material collected from tree bark at Nylstroom (now Modimolle), South Africa.[3]
References
- ^ Wunderlich, J. (1995). "Beschreibung der zweiten Art der Gattung Paroecobius Lamoral 1981 aus Süd-Afrika (Arachnida: Araneae: Oecobiidae)". Beiträge zur Araneologie. 4: 581–584.
- ^ "Paroecobius nicolaii Wunderlich, 1995". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Oecobiidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 9–10. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6783325. Retrieved 23 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.