Pherecydes tuberculatus

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Common Pherecydes Crab Spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Thomisidae
Genus: Pherecydes
Species:
P. tuberculatus
Binomial name
Pherecydes tuberculatus

Pherecydes tuberculatus is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae. [2] It is found in southern Africa and is commonly known as common Pherecydes crab spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Pherecydes tuberculatus is found in Lesotho and South Africa. [2]

In South Africa, the species is known from the Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape, and Western Cape. Notable locations include Addo Elephant National Park, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, Polokwane Nature Reserve, Richtersveld National Park, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Fernkloof Nature Reserve, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, and Swartberg Nature Reserve. [3]

Habitat and ecology

Pherecydes tuberculatus inhabits the Grassland, Fynbos, Forest, Nama Karoo, Thicket, and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 6 to 2826 m. [3]

These tree and grass dwellers have been sampled from Lucerne fields and pine plantations. [3]

Description

Conservation

Pherecydes tuberculatus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is recorded in more than ten protected areas. [3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1883 with the type locality given only as Caffraria. [1] The species was revised by Dippenaar-Schoeman in 1980. [4] Both sexes are known. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1883). "On some new genera and species of spiders". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 51 (3): 352–365. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1883.tb06654.x.
  2. 1 2 "Pherecydes tuberculatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1883". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern: World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Thomisidae of South Africa. Part 2 My-R. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 40. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513276. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ↑ Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. (1980). "The crab-spiders of southern Africa (Araneae: Thomisidae). 2. The genera Pherecydes Pickard-Cambridge, 1883 and Smodicinus Simon, 1895". Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa. 43: 327–340.
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