| Vryburg Anyphops Flat Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Selenopidae |
| Genus: | Anyphops |
| Species: | A. bechuanicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Anyphops bechuanicus (Lawrence, 1940) [1] | |
Anyphops bechuanicus is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae. [2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Vryburg anyphops flat spider. [3]
Anyphops bechuanicus is found in South Africa. [2] The species occurs in KwaZulu-Natal and North West provinces, at altitudes ranging from 71 to 1218 m above sea level. [3]
The species inhabits the Savanna and Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biomes. [3] These are free-living cryptozoic nocturnal ground dwellers. [3]
A. bechuanicus is known from both sexes. [3] The carapace is yellow-brown, narrowly bordered with black and variegated with symmetrical brown markings, with an oval patch on each side of the thoracic striae. The mouthparts are light yellow-brown, with a narrow inner and outer dark stripe on their anterior surfaces. [3]
The opisthosoma is yellow-brown with indistinct symmetrical markings. The legs have distinct dark bands, those of the femora mottled and irregular, and those of the tibiae clearly defined. Tibia I and II have 5, metatarsus I and II have 3 pairs of inferior spines. Total length is 9.5 mm. [3]
Anyphops bechuanicus is listed as Data Deficient. [3] The species is under sampled and more sampling is needed to determine the species' range. Threats to the species are unknown. [3]
The species was originally described by R. F. Lawrence in 1940 as Selenops bechuanicus from Vryburg in the North West. [1] It was transferred to the genus Anyphops by Benoit in 1968. [3]
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