Anyphops silvicolellus

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Krugerpark Anyphops Flat Spider
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Selenopidae
Genus: Anyphops
Species:
A. silvicolellus
Binomial name
Anyphops silvicolellus
(Strand, 1913)[1]

Anyphops silvicolellus is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae.[2] It is commonly known as the Krugerpark Anyphops flat spider.[3]

Distribution

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Anyphops silvicolellus is distributed across four African countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and South Africa.[3] In South Africa, the species is found only in Limpopo province, where it has been recorded from Kruger National Park and Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve.[3]

Habitat and ecology

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See also: Glossary of spider terms

The species inhabits the Savanna biome at altitudes ranging from 418 to 1,245 m above sea level.[3] These are free-living cryptozoic nocturnal ground living spiders that have been sampled from trees.[3]

Description

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See also: Glossary of spider terms

Anyphops silvicolellus is known from both sexes. The tibiae I and II have seven pairs of inferior spines. Females have a large, rectangular genital plate with two incisions at the upper edge. Total length ranges from 8-12 mm.[3]

Conservation

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Anyphops silvicolellus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range across Africa.[3] The species is protected in two protected areas: Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.[3]

Taxonomy

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The species was originally described by Embrik Strand in 1913 as Selenops silvicolella from Rwanda. It was later transferred to the genus Anyphops by Benoit in 1968.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Strand, E. (1913). "Arachnida. I. In: Schubotz, H. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Zentral-Afrika-Expedition 1907-1908, unter Führung Adolf Friedrichs, Herzogs zu Mecklenburg". Klinkhardt & Biermann, Leipzig. 4: 399. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.7048.
  2. ^ a b "Anyphops silvicolellus (Strand, 1913)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. 56. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.