Themacrys silvicola
| Pietermaritzburg Themacrys Hackled Band Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Phyxelididae |
| Genus: | Themacrys |
| Species: | T. silvicola
|
| Binomial name | |
| Themacrys silvicola | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Themacrys silvicola is a species of spider in the family Phyxelididae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Pietermaritzburg Themacrys hackled band spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Themacrys silvicola is distributed across two South African provinces, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.[3] The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 4 to 1,551 m above sea level.
Habitat and ecology
[edit]This species inhabits the Grassland and Savanna biomes.[3] Themacrys silvicola is a ground retreat-web cryptic spider that lives in damp and dark places.[3]
Description
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (September 2025) |
Conservation
[edit]Themacrys silvicola is listed as Vulnerable by the South African National Biodiversity Institute.[3] Although the species is known from two provinces, it is experiencing ongoing loss of habitat due to urban development, crop cultivation and afforestation. There has been extensive transformation of habitat within the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, with habitat loss due to agroforestry plantations, crop cultivation and urban development.[3]
Etymology
[edit]The specific name is Latin for "forest-dwelling".
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was originally described by Reginald Frederick Lawrence in 1938 as Haemilla silvicola from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal.[1] It was later transferred to the genus Themacrys by Lehtinen in 1967 and revised by Griswold in 1990.[3] Themacrys silvicola is known from both sexes.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Lawrence, R.F. (1938). "A collection of spiders from Natal and Zululand". Annals of the Natal Museum. 8: 455–524.
- ^ "Themacrys silvicola (Lawrence, 1938)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Phyxelididae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 27. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6813843. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
