Asianopis cornigera
Species of spider
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asianopis cornigera is a species of spider in the family Deinopidae.[1] It is found across several African countries including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and South Africa, and is commonly known as the Short-Palp Ogre-Faced Spider.[2]
| Short-Palp Ogre-Faced Spider | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male | |
 | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Deinopidae |
| Genus: | Asianopis |
| Species: | A. cornigera |
| Binomial name | |
| Asianopis cornigera (Gerstaecker, 1873) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Etymology
The species epithet "cornigera" is derived from Latin, meaning "horn-bearing."
Distribution
Asianopis cornigera was originally described from Tanzania. In South Africa, it has been recorded from KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and North West provinces at altitudes ranging from 29 to 1,341 m above sea level.[2]
Habitat and ecology
The species is a web dweller that constructs small, rectangular expandable webs at night using cribellate silk, which is held with the front legs. The spiders are cryptic by day, resting with their bodies pressed against tree bark. In South Africa, it has been sampled from the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt and Savanna biomes.[2]
Description
Conservation
Asianopis cornigera is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide African distribution. In South Africa, it is protected in three protected areas: Lhuvhondo Nature Reserve, Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, and Medikwe Game Reserve.[2]
