Copa kei

Kei ground lycosiform sac spider
Female
Conservation status
Least Concern  (SANBI Red List)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Corinnidae
Genus:	Copa
Species:	C. kei
Binomial name
Copa kei Haddad, 2013
Cope kei shown as yellow triangles. Copa flavoplumosa shown as black circles.

Copa kei is a species of spider in the family Corinnidae. ^[1] The species is endemic to eastern South Africa. The species epithet is named after Kei Mouth. ^{[2] [3]}

Distribution

Copa kei is endemic to South Africa and occurs in two provinces: Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. ^[4] The species has been recorded at altitudes ranging from 7 to 1,505 m above sea level. ^[4]

Notable locations include Dwesa Nature Reserve, Cwebe Nature Reserve, Hogsback, Kei Mouth, and Karkloof Nature Reserve. ^[4]

Habitat and ecology

Copa kei is a free-living ground-dweller mainly found in the leaf litter layer of Afromontane and coastal forests. ^[4] The species inhabits Forest, Savanna, and Thicket biomes. ^[4]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Copa kei is known from both sexes. ^[4] Like other members of its genus, it is a medium-sized spider that closely resembles wolf spiders (Lycosidae) in general appearance and is well camouflaged. ^[4]

Conservation

Copa kei is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. ^[4] Although threatened by habitat loss for urbanization and agricultural activities in parts of its range, it is well protected in several areas. ^[4] The species is recorded from three protected areas. ^[4]

References

1. "Copa kei Haddad, 2013". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
2. "Copa kei Haddad, 2013". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
3. "ZooBank.org". zoobank.org. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
4. Haddad, C.R.; Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). The Corinnidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 23. doi:10.5281/zenodo.8300753 . Retrieved 22 September 2025.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.