Afrarchaea godfreyi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Godfrey's Assassin Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Archaeidae |
| Genus: | Afrarchaea |
| Species: | A. godfreyi |
| Binomial name | |
| Afrarchaea godfreyi (Hewitt, 1919) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Afrarchaea godfreyi is a species of spider of the genus Afrarchaea and the type species of the genus. It is endemic to South Africa.[2]
Afrarchaea godfreyi has the widest distribution of any species in the genus, being recorded from various forests in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The species is found from 6 to 2,102 metres above sea level.[3]
Known localities include Eastern Cape (Tsolo, Somerville; Dwesa Forest) and KwaZulu-Natal (Ngome State Forest, Ngotsche Forest (Cascades Farm and west of Eshowe), Gwaliweni Forest near Ingwavuma, Pongola Bush Reserve, Sani Pass, Ramsgate, Trafalgar).[3]
Habitat
The species inhabits a variety of forest habitats and has been sampled from three different biomes, demonstrating considerable ecological adaptability. Afrarchaea godfreyi has been recorded from coastal forests, montane forests, and riverine systems. The species has also been found in pine plantations, indicating some tolerance for modified habitats.[3]
Description
Afrarchaea godfreyi exhibits the characteristic features of the genus, including a greatly elevated cephalic region rising well above the thoracic region and elongated chelicerae with distinctive peg teeth. Both males and females are known for this species.[4]
