Stasimopus tysoni

Port Alfred Cork-Lid Trapdoor Spider
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Stasimopidae
Genus:	Stasimopus
Species:	S. tysoni
Binomial name
Stasimopus tysoni Hewitt, 1919[1]

Stasimopus tysoni is a species in the family Stasimopidae.^[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Port Alfred cork-lid trapdoor spider.^[3]

Distribution

Stasimopus tysoni is found in South Africa. The species is known only from the Eastern Cape province, specifically from Port Alfred.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

The species is a ground dweller that lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a cork-lid trapdoor. The species has been sampled from the Thicket biome at an altitude of 59 m above sea level.^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Conservation

Stasimopus tysoni is listed as Data Deficient by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species is an Eastern Cape endemic known only from the type locality at 59 m above sea level. Threats to the species are unknown.^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by John Hewitt in 1919 from Port Alfred. The species has not been revised and is known from both sexes. The status remains obscure and additional sampling is needed to determine the species' range.^[3]

References

1. Hewitt, J. (1919). "Descriptions of new South African Araneae and Solifugae". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 6: 63–111.
2. "Stasimopus tysoni Hewitt, 1919". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
3. Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide: The Stasimopidae of South Africa 2021 version 1. p. 49. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6735880. Retrieved 25 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.