Idiops grandis

Last updated

Zululand Idiops Trapdoor Spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Idiopidae
Genus: Idiops
Species:
I. grandis
Binomial name
Idiops grandis
(Hewitt, 1915) [1]
Synonyms
  • Acanthodon grandisHewitt, 1915

Idiops grandis is a species of spider in the family Idiopidae. [2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Zululand Idiops trapdoor spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Idiops grandis is a KwaZulu-Natal endemic recorded from Ndumo Game Reserve and Umfolozi Nature Reserve at altitudes ranging from 47 to 232 m above sea level. [3]

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits the Savanna biome. It lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a trapdoor. [3]

Description

Idiops grandis is known only from females. The upper surfaces of appendages and carapace are castaneous, with the legs having a reddish tinge. Ventral surfaces are paler with the sternum and coxae of the last two pairs of legs being yellowish brown. The coxa is clothed inferiorly with stout bristles, not spinules. [3]

Conservation

Idiops grandis is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons. The species is protected in Ndumo Game Reserve. [3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by John Hewitt in 1915 as Acanthodon grandis from Umfolozi. The species has not been revised and requires taxonomic work, as it has three pairs of sigilla and may need to be moved to Segregara . [3]

References

  1. ↑ Hewitt, J. (1915). "New South African Arachnida". Annals of the Natal Museum. 3: 289–327.
  2. ↑ "Idiops grandis (Hewitt, 1915)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Idiopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 39. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6324502 . Retrieved 23 September 2025. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.