| Caledon Anyphops Flat Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Selenopidae |
| Genus: | Anyphops |
| Species: | A. caledonicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Anyphops caledonicus (Lawrence, 1940) [1] | |
Anyphops caledonicus is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae. [2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Caledon anyphops flat spider. [3]
Anyphops caledonicus is found in South Africa. [2] The species is endemic to the Western Cape, known from Caledon and Bontebok National Park at 237 m above sea level. [3]
The species inhabits the Fynbos biome. [3] Little is known about their behaviour. [3]
The species is known only from females. [3] The carapace is light yellow-brown with a Y-shaped darker marking formed by the thoracic striae and posterior boundaries of the cephalic area, with a few small dark spots halfway between the striae and lateral margins. [3]
The opisthosoma above has 3 pairs of short curved blackish bars. There are well-defined brown bands on femora and tibiae of all legs. Tibia I and II have 5, metatarsus I and II have 3 pairs of inferior spines. Total length is 7-8 mm. [3]
Anyphops caledonicus is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons. [3] The status of the species remains obscure. More sampling is needed to collect males and determine the species' range. It is protected in Bontebok National Park. [3]
The species was originally described by R. F. Lawrence in 1940 as Selenops caledonicus from Caledon. [1] It was transferred to the genus Anyphops by Benoit in 1968. [3]
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