Xysticus urbensis

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Urbensis Xysticus Ground Crab Spider
Xysticus urbensis 300122576 540733935.jpg
female
Xysticus urbensis 300122576 540734780.jpg
female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Thomisidae
Genus: Xysticus
Species:
X. urbensis
Binomial name
Xysticus urbensis
Lawrence, 1952 [1]

Xysticus urbensis is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae. [2] It occurs in Lesotho and South Africa, and is commonly known as the urbensis Xysticus ground crab spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Xysticus urbensis occurs in two southern African countries: Lesotho and South Africa. In South Africa, the species is distributed across seven provinces: Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, and Western Cape. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 39 to 2,985 m above sea level. [3]

Notable South African locations include Wilgerskloof Farm, Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Irene, Kliprivierberg Nature Reserve, Roodepoort, Pietermaritzburg, Ndumo Game Reserve, Ophathe Game Reserve, Natal Good Hope Plantation, Sani Pass, Newcastle district, Luvhondo Nature Reserve, Delmas, Hartbeespoortdam, Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, and Cape Peninsula. [3]

Habitat and ecology

Xysticus urbensis is found under stones during the day. The species inhabits Forest, Fynbos, Grassland, and Savanna biomes. It has also been found in maize fields. [3]

Conservation

Xysticus urbensis is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in several areas including Ndumo Game Reserve, Ophathe Game Reserve, Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, and Kliprivierberg Nature Reserve. No conservation actions are recommended. [3]

Description

female Xysticus urbensis 300122576 540734673.jpg
female

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Lawrence in 1952 from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. African species of Xysticus have not been revised, and the species is known from both sexes. [3]

References

  1. ↑ Lawrence, R.F. (1952). "New spiders from the eastern half of South Africa". Annals of the Natal Museum. 12: 183–226.
  2. ↑ "Xysticus urbensis Lawrence, 1952". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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. 14. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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