Talaus limbatus

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Makapans Talaus 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: Talaus
Species:
T. limbatus
Binomial name
Talaus limbatus
Simon, 1895

Talaus limbatus is a species of crab spider in the family Thomisidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is known only from the type locality at Makapan in Limpopo Province. [1] [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

Talaus limbatus was first described by Eugène Simon in 1895 based on a juvenile specimen. [3] The species has been suggested to be possibly misplaced in the genus Talaus and requires taxonomic revision. [4] The holotype is presumed to be deposited at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France, as is typical for Simon's collections. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Talaus limbatus is known only from its type locality at Makapan in Limpopo Province, South Africa, at an elevation of 1433 meters above sea level. The species is a plant dweller and lives freely on vegetation. [2]

Description

As with other members of the genus Talaus, this species is a very small spider measuring less than 4 mm in total length. The cephalothorax is very high and as wide as long, with a truncated front and sloping posterior end. It has a shiny appearance with black eyes arranged in two rows - the front row is straight and broader than the curved back row. The opisthosoma is round and yellow with a white spot. [2]

The legs are almost equal in length and not particularly robust, with few bristles. The leg segments called tarsi are thin and shorter than the preceding metatarsi. [2]

Only juvenile specimens are known, so the adult morphology and any differences between males and females remain unknown. [2]

Conservation

Talaus limbatus is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons due to the lack of adult specimens and limited distributional data. The species has an estimated extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of only 4 km². Additional sampling is needed to collect adult specimens and better understand the species' range and conservation status. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Talaus limbatus Simon, 1895". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  2. 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 3 Sm-T. Irene: South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 79 pp. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513278. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  3. ↑ Simon, E. (1895). "Descriptions d'arachnides nouveaux de la famille des Thomisidae". Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 39: 432–443.
  4. ↑ Benjamin, S.P. (2020). "Distributional and taxonomic notes on the crab spider genus Talaus Simon, 1886 with description of a new species (Araneae: Thomisidae)". Zootaxa. 4858 (3): 405–416. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4858.3.6.
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