Stasimopus quadratimaculatus
| Stasimopus quadratimaculatus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Stasimopidae |
| Genus: | Stasimopus |
| Species: | S. quadratimaculatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stasimopus quadratimaculatus | |
Stasimopus quadratimaculatus is a species in the family Stasimopidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa.[3]
Distribution
Stasimopus quadratimaculatus is found in South Africa. The species is known only from the Western Cape province, specifically from Montagu Baths near Montagu.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a ground dweller that lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a cork-lid trapdoor. The lid is very thick (5.5–9 mm), cork-like and not strongly bevelled at the edge with the lower edge more angular. The burrow width at entrance is 23–28 mm while the width narrows to 16–18 mm. The depth of the burrow is 18–19 cm.[3] The species has been sampled from the Fynbos biome at an altitude of 268 m above sea level.[3]
Description
Conservation
Stasimopus quadratimaculatus is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species is a Western Cape endemic known only from the type locality, an area threatened by loss of habitat due to urbanization and agricultural activity.[3]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by W. F. Purcell in 1903 from the Hot Baths near Montagu in the Western Cape. The species has not been revised and remains poorly known, with the status remaining obscure. Additional sampling is needed to collect the male and determine the species' range.[3]
References
- ^ Purcell, W.F. (1903). "New South African spiders of the families Migidae, Ctenizidae, Barychelidae Dipluridae, and Lycosidae". Annals of the South African Museum. 3: 69–142. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.25299.
- ^ "Stasimopus quadratimaculatus Purcell, 1903". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide: The Stasimopidae of South Africa 2021 version 1. p. 38. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6735880. Retrieved 25 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.