Parapalystes euphorbiae

Port Nolloth's parapalystes huntsman spider
Female
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Sparassidae
Genus:	Parapalystes
Species:	P. euphorbiae
Binomial name
Parapalystes euphorbiae Croeser, 1996 [1]

Parapalystes euphorbiae is a spider species in the family Sparassidae. ^[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Port Nolloth's Parapalystes huntsman spider. ^[3]

Distribution

Parapalystes euphorbiae is found in the Northern Cape province. The species has been recorded from Noup, Port Nolloth, Blackridge farm near Groblershoop, and Richtersveld National Park. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 16 to 859 m. ^[3]

Habitat and ecology

Parapalystes euphorbiae is a free-living plant dweller. The spiders were sampled from retreats in low leafless Euphorbia shrubs growing on dune hummocks in the Desert and Succulent Karoo biomes. ^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

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  female
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  female

Conservation

Parapalystes euphorbiae is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographic range. The species is protected in Richtersveld National Park. ^[3]

References

1. Croeser, P.M.C. (1996). "A revision of the African huntsman spider genus Palystes L. Koch 1875 (Araneae: Heteropodidae)". Annals of the Natal Museum. 37: 1–122.
2. "Parapalystes euphorbiae Croeser, 1996". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2025-10-01.
3. Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Sparassidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 60. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6614498.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.