Xysticus simonstownensis

Xysticus simonstownensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Thomisidae
Genus:	Xysticus
Species:	X. simonstownensis
Binomial name
Xysticus simonstownensis Strand, 1909 [1]

Xysticus simonstownensis is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae. ^[2] It is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa. ^[3]

Distribution

Xysticus simonstownensis is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa. The species is known only from the type locality at Simon's Town, where it occurs at 125 m above sea level. ^[3]

Habitat and ecology

Xysticus simonstownensis are free-living ground dwellers. ^[3]

Conservation

Xysticus simonstownensis is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons. The species was described from a juvenile specimen, and the status remains obscure. More sampling is needed to collect female and male adults and to determine the species' range. ^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Strand in 1909 from Simon's Town. African species of Xysticus have not been revised. The species is known only from a juvenile specimen without illustrations, and more sampling is needed to collect adult material. ^[3]

References

1. Strand, E. (1909). "Südafrikanische Spinnen des Naturhistorischen Museums zu Wiesbaden". Jahrbücher des Nassauischen Vereins für Naturkunde. 62: 1–69.
2. "Xysticus simonstownensis Strand, 1909". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
3. Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide: Thomisidae (part 4). 1. p. 12.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.