Moggridgea rupicoloides
| Grahamstown Rock face Trapdoor Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Migidae |
| Genus: | Moggridgea |
| Species: | M. rupicoloides
|
| Binomial name | |
| Moggridgea rupicoloides Hewitt, 1914[1]
| |
Moggridgea rupicoloides is a species of spider in the family Migidae.[2] It is endemic to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and is commonly known as the Grahamstown rock face trapdoor spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Moggridgea rupicoloides is known from several localities in the Eastern Cape, including Grahamstown, Somerset East (Craigie Burn), Uitenhage, Redhouse, and Addo Elephant National Park.[3]
Habitat
[edit]The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 5 to 737 m above sea level.[3]
Description
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2025) |
Moggridgea rupicoloides is known only from the female.[3]
Ecology
[edit]Moggridgea rupicoloides is a rupicolous trapdoor species. The type series was collected from nests found under the shelter of rocks and large stones. Adult females were collected in April and September to October.[3]
Conservation
[edit]Moggridgea rupicoloides is listed as Data Deficient due to taxonomic reasons. The male remains unknown, and additional sampling is needed to determine the species' current range. The species is protected in Addo Elephant National Park.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was originally described by John Hewitt in 1914 from Grahamstown and later revised by Charles E. Griswold in 1987.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Hewitt, J. (1914). "Descriptions of new Arachnida from South Africa". Records of the Albany Museum Grahamstown. 3: 1–37.
- ^ "Moggridgea rupicoloides Hewitt, 1914". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Migidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 22. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6735880. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ Griswold, C.E. (1987). "The African members of the trap-door spider family Migidae (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) 1: the genus Moggridgea O. P.-Cambridge, 1875". Annals of the Natal Museum. 28: 1–118.
