| Cape Anyphops Flat Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Selenopidae |
| Genus: | Anyphops |
| Species: | A. capensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Anyphops capensis (Lawrence, 1940) [1] | |
Anyphops capensis is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae. [2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Cape anyphops flat spider. [3]
Anyphops capensis is found in South Africa. [2] The species occurs in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces, at altitudes ranging from 7 to 1513 m above sea level. [3]
The species inhabits the Fynbos biome. [3] These are free-living cryptozoic nocturnal spiders that have been collected from under bark in eucalyptus plantations and fynbos. They are also found in houses on walls. [3]
The species is known from both sexes. [3] The carapace is yellow-brown with darker radii from the thoracic striae, with the cephalic portion a little darker than the thoracic portion. The opisthosoma above is yellow-brown with small scattered blackish dots, darker towards the posterior apex, especially at the sides and just above the spinners. The dark dots on the posterior portion are characteristic. [3]
The legs are not strongly banded, with tibiae having two light and two dark bands. Anterior tibiae have 6 pairs of inferior spines. Total length is 13-14 mm in females and 12-13 mm in males. [3]
Anyphops capensis is listed as Least Concern due to the wide geographical range. [3] There are no known threats to the species. It is protected in Mountain Zebra National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, and Table Mountain National Park. [3]
The species was originally described by R. F. Lawrence in 1940 as Selenops capensis from Cape Town. [1] It was transferred to the genus Anyphops by Benoit in 1968. [3]
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.