Stasimopus artifex
Grahamstown Cork-Lid Trapdoor Spider | |
---|---|
Invalid status (SANBI Red List)
| |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
Family: | Stasimopidae |
Genus: | Stasimopus |
Species: | S. artifex
|
Binomial name | |
Stasimopus artifex |
Stasimopus artifex is a species of spider in the family Stasimopidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Grahamstown cork-lid trapdoor spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Stasimopus artifex is found in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Notable locations include Bathurst at Rokeby Park and Pigs Island, Seaview, and Grahamstown at Cuylerville.[3]
Habitat and ecology
[edit]The species is a ground dweller that lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a thick trapdoor lid. It has been sampled from the Savanna and Thicket biomes.[3]
Description
[edit]![]() | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (September 2025) |
Conservation
[edit]Stasimopus artifex is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species is known from three localities sampled prior to 1902. It is suspected to be under-collected since trapdoor spiders are not easy to locate. The species is likely threatened by habitat loss due to urbanization at Bathurst and Seaview, and crop farming at Bathurst.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was originally described by Pocock in 1902 from Cuylerville, near Grahamstown. The genus has not yet been revised, and identification of the species remains problematic. The male remains unknown.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Pocock, R.I. (1902). "Descriptions of some new species of African Solifugae and Araneae". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 10 (55): 6–27. doi:10.1080/00222930208678627.
- ^ "World Spider Catalog". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Stasimopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 6. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162178. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.