Copa kei

Last updated

Kei ground lycosiform sac spider
Copa kei female - ZooKeys-276-001-g001-5.jpeg
Female
Copa kei male - ZooKeys-276-001-g001-6.jpeg
Male
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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
Map of South Africa with distribution of Copa flavoplumosa and Copa kei - ZooKeys-276-001-g014.jpeg
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]

Contents

Distribution

Copa kei is endemic to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. [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, where it has been recorded at altitudes ranging from 7 to 1,505 m above sea level. [4]

The species inhabits Forest, Savanna, and Thicket biomes. [4]

Description

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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 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. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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