Anyphops braunsi
| Willowmore Anyphops Flat Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Selenopidae |
| Genus: | Anyphops |
| Species: | A. braunsi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Anyphops braunsi (Lawrence, 1940)[1]
| |
Anyphops braunsi is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Willowmore anyphops flat spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Anyphops braunsi is found in South Africa.[2] The species occurs in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces, at altitudes ranging from 62 to 1050 m above sea level.[3]
Habitat and ecology
[edit]The species inhabits Forest, Savanna, and Thicket biomes.[3] These are free-living cryptozoic nocturnal ground dwellers. Different species frequently occur sympatrically but occupy different microhabitats. The species has been collected on the ground in a pine plantation at Sabie, South Africa.[3]
Description
[edit]The species is known only from females.[3] The carapace is light reddish brown, thoracic striae well defined, with some fine lines radiating from it, and a line from the striae bisecting the cephalic area and bifurcating behind the anterior median eyes. The chelicerae are a little darker than the carapace.[3]
The opisthosoma is rubbed, yellow above but with some darker spots and blotches above the spinners. The legs have dark bands. Tibia I and II have 6, metatarsus I and II have 3 pairs of inferior spines. Total length is 12 mm.[3]
Conservation
[edit]Anyphops braunsi is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range.[3] Threats to the species are unknown. It is protected in Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve and Bergvliet Forest Station.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was originally described by R. F. Lawrence in 1940 as Selenops braunsi from Willowmore in the Eastern Cape.[1] It was transferred to the genus Anyphops by Benoit in 1968.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Lawrence, R.F. (1940). "The genus Selenops (Araneae) in South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 32: 594.
- ^ a b "Anyphops braunsi (Lawrence, 1940)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. 14. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
