Anyphops marshalli

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Estcourt Anyphops Flat Spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Selenopidae
Genus: Anyphops
Species:
A. marshalli
Binomial name
Anyphops marshalli
(Pocock, 1902) [1]

Anyphops marshalli is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae. [2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Estcourt Anyphops flat spider.

Contents

Distribution

Anyphops marshalli occurs in three South African provinces, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape. It has been recorded from Grahamstown, East London Pineapple Research Station, and Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape; Durban, Estcourt, Pinetown, and Kloof in KwaZulu-Natal; and Diepwalle Forest Station in the Western Cape at altitudes ranging from 17 to 1,189 m above sea level. [3]

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits the Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, and Savanna biomes and is a free-living cryptozoic nocturnal ground-dwelling spider. It has also been sampled from houses. [3]

Description

Only the male is known. The integument is ochre-brown, covered with a mixture of golden-yellow and blackish hairs. The legs have blackish bands. The anterior tibiae have 7 pairs of inferior spines. Total length is 11 mm. [3]

Conservation

Anyphops marshalli is listed as Least Concern. Although the species is presently known only from one sex, it has a wide geographical range and is protected in Diepwalle Forest Station. [3]

References

  1. Pocock, R.I. (1902). "Descriptions of some new species of African Solifugae and Araneae". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7. 10 (55): 6–27. doi:10.1080/00222930208678627.
  2. "Anyphops marshalli (Pocock, 1902)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Selenopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 38–39. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.