Aneplasa facies

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Eastern Cape Aneplasa Ground Spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Gnaphosidae
Genus: Aneplasa
Species:
A. facies
Binomial name
Aneplasa facies
Tucker, 1923 [1]

Aneplasa facies is a species of spider in the family Gnaphosidae. [2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Eastern Cape Aneplasa ground spider.

Contents

Distribution

Aneplasa facies is distributed across two South African provinces: Eastern Cape and Western Cape. Notable localities include Grahamstown, Uitenhage, Asante Sana Private Game Reserve, and Swartberg Nature Reserve. [3]

Habitat and ecology

The species is a free-living ground dweller recorded from Thicket and Grassland biomes at altitudes ranging from 66 to 1,479 m above sea level. [3]

Description

Conservation

Aneplasa facies is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Despite males not being known, samples of females show that this species is widespread. The species is protected in Asante Sana Private Game Reserve and Swartberg Nature Reserve. [3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by R.W.E. Tucker in 1923 from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. It has not been revised since the original description and is known only from females. The species resembles Aneplasa balnearia . [3]

References

  1. Tucker, R. W. E. (1923). "The Drassidae of South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum. 19 (2): 251–437.
  2. "Aneplasa facies Tucker, 1923". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Gnaphosidae of South Africa. part 1 (A-D). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 11. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7197174. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.