Anyphops basutus
| Lesotho Anyphops Flat Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Selenopidae |
| Genus: | Anyphops |
| Species: | A. basutus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Anyphops basutus (Pocock, 1901)[1]
| |
Anyphops basutus is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae.[2] It occurs in southern Africa and is commonly known as the Lesotho Anyphops flat spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Anyphops basutus is found in Lesotho and South Africa.[2] In South Africa, the species occurs in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, at altitudes ranging from 375 to 1690 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
[edit]The species inhabits Forest and Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biomes.[3] These are free-living cryptozoic nocturnal ground dwellers.[3]
Description
[edit]The species is known only from females.[3] It resembles A. atomarius and A. spenceri in having seven pairs of tibial spines on leg I and II. Total length is 18 mm.[3]
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2025) |
Conservation
[edit]Anyphops basutus is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range.[3] There are no known threats to the species. It is protected in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve. More sampling is needed to determine the range.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was originally described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1901 as Selenops basutus from Lesotho.[1] It was transferred to the genus Anyphops by Benoit in 1968.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Pocock, R.I. (1901). "Descriptions of some new African Arachnida". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7: 288. doi:10.1080/00222930108678472.
- ^ a b "Anyphops basutus (Pocock, 1901)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Selenopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 12. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
