Pokennips

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Cape Tree Sheet-Web Spider
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Cyatholipidae
Genus: Pokennips
Species:
P. dentipes
Binomial name
Pokennips dentipes
(Simon, 1894) [1]
Synonyms

Cyatholipus dentipesSimon, 1894

Pokennips dentipes is a species of spider in the family Cyatholipidae. It is the type species of the monotypic genus Pokennips and is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa. [2] [3]

Contents

Distribution

Pokennips dentipes is known only from Buffels Bay on the Cape Peninsula, where it occurs at approximately 2 m above sea level. [3]

Habitat

The species builds small horizontal sheet webs in vegetation on densely vegetated sand dunes in the Fynbos Biome. [3]

Description

Spiders in the genus Pokennips are small, with body length less than 3 mm. The genus is distinguished by having an opisthosoma that is nearly round when viewed laterally and bears coarse setae. The promargin of the cheliceral furrow has three teeth. In males, leg I is modified and thicker than leg II, with the femur curved and the metatarsus bearing ventral spurs. [3]

Etymology

The species epithet dentipes is Latin meaning "toothed foot", referring to the modified male leg I which bears spurs.

Conservation

The species is known only from the type locality and was last collected prior to 1894. It is protected within Table Mountain National Park and is listed as Data Deficient due to the lack of recent collections. [3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described in the genus Cyatholipus but was transferred to the new genus Pokennips by Griswold in 2001. [4]

References

  1. ↑ Simon, E. (1894). "Histoire naturelle des araignées. Deuxième édition, tome premier". Roret, Paris: 489–760. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.51973.
  2. ↑ "Pokennips dentipes (Simon, 1894)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Cyatholipidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. Irene. pp. 1–27. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6759933. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. ↑ Griswold, C.E. (2001). "A monograph of the living world genera and Afrotropical species of cyatholipid spiders (Araneae, Orbiculariae, Araneoidea, Cyatholipidae)". Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences. 26: 1–251.
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