Platyoides pusillus
| Estcourt Scorpion Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Trochanteriidae |
| Genus: | Platyoides |
| Species: | P. pusillus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Platyoides pusillus Pocock, 1898[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
List
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Platyoides pusillus is a species of spider in the family Trochanteriidae. It is found in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and South Africa.[2]
Distribution
[edit]The species has a wide distribution across southern and eastern Africa. In South Africa, Platyoides pusillus is found in four provinces: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Western Cape, at elevations ranging from 47 to 1,821 m above sea level. The species was originally described from Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal.[3]
Habitat
[edit]Platyoides pusillus inhabits multiple biomes including Forest, Grassland, Savanna, and Thicket. Like other scorpion spiders, it is a free-living wanderer with a flattened body adapted for life in narrow crevices under bark or rocks.[3]
Description
[edit]Both males and females of Platyoides pusillus are known to science. The carapace is deep brown and clothed with olive-black hairs, ornamented on each side with a narrow white stripe. The chelicerae are deep brown, while the pedipalps and legs are yellowish brown. The opisthosoma is blackish above and clothed with dark olive hairs.[3]
Conservation
[edit]The species is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range across multiple countries. In South Africa, it is protected in several reserves including Ndumo Game Reserve, Lhuvhondo Nature Reserve, and De Hoop Nature Reserve.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Pocock, R.I. (1898). "The Arachnida from the province of Natal, South Africa, contained in the collection of the British Museum". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7. 2 (9): 197–226. doi:10.1080/00222939808678036.
- ^ "Platyoides pusillus Pocock, 1898". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Trochanteriidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. Irene. pp. 1–18. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6659336.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
