Palystes stilleri

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Stiller's rain spider
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Sparassidae
Genus: Palystes
Species:
P. stilleri
Binomial name
Palystes stilleri

Palystes stilleri is a spider species in the family Sparassidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Stiller's rain spider.[3]

Distribution

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Palystes stilleri is found in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces. The species has been sampled from the Hottentots Holland Mountains, and it is protected in Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, and Swartberg Nature Reserve. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 27 to 701 m.[3]

Habitat and ecology

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During the day, adults are inactive and shelter under loose bark, rotten logs or stones, or in any suitable crevice. One specimen was sampled from a rotting log in the Fynbos Biome.[3]

Description

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See also: Glossary of spider terms

Conservation

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Palystes stilleri is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. The species is protected in Swartberg Nature Reserve, Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, and Jonkershoek Nature Reserve.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Croeser, P.M.C. (1996). "A revision of the African huntsman spider genus Palystes L. Koch 1875 (Araneae: Heteropodidae)". Annals of the Natal Museum. 37: 1–122.
  2. ^ a b "Palystes stilleri Croeser, 1996". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  3. ^ a b c d Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Sparassidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 47. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6614498. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.