Stasimopus astutus
| Stasimopus astutus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Stasimopidae |
| Genus: | Stasimopus |
| Species: | S. astutus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stasimopus astutus | |
Stasimopus astutus is a species of spider in the family Stasimopidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa.[3]
Distribution
Stasimopus astutus is found in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It occurs at Pearston, Bedford, and Jansenville at altitudes ranging from 415 to 736 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a ground dweller that lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a thick trapdoor lid. It has been recorded from the Thicket and Nama Karoo biomes.[3]
Description
Stasimopus astutus is known from both sexes. Females reach a total body length of 35 mm.[3]
Conservation
Stasimopus astutus is listed as Data Deficient by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species is suspected to be under-collected since trapdoor spiders are not easy to locate. Identification of the species is problematic, and more sampling is needed to determine the species' present range. There are no obvious threats to the species.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Pocock in 1902 from Pearston. The genus has not yet been revised.[3]
References
- ^ Pocock, R.I. (1902). "Descriptions of some new species of African Solifugae and Araneae". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 10 (55): 6–27. doi:10.1080/00222930208678627.
- ^ "World Spider Catalog". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Stasimopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 7. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162178. Retrieved 24 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.