| Botha's Lynx Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Oxyopidae |
| Genus: | Oxyopes |
| Species: | O. bothai |
| Binomial name | |
| Oxyopes bothai Lessert, 1915 [1] | |
Oxyopes bothai is a species of spider in the family Oxyopidae. [2] It is commonly known as Botha's lynx spider. [3]
Oxyopes bothai occurs in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and South Africa. [2] In South Africa, the species is widely distributed across all provinces at altitudes ranging from 16 to 1,698 m above sea level. [3]
The species is commonly found on grasses across multiple biomes including Fynbos, Forest, Grassland, Savanna, Nama Karoo, and Thicket biomes. [3] It has also been sampled from pistachio orchards, demonstrating its adaptability to agricultural environments.
Oxyopes bothai is known only from females. [3] The species displays the typical lynx spider morphology with long, slender legs bearing prominent spines and a characteristic tapering opisthosoma. [3]
Oxyopes bothai is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range across multiple provinces. [3] The species is protected in more than ten protected areas and faces no significant threats.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.