Euophrys meridionalis

Euophrys meridionalis is a very small spider with a body divided into two main parts: a rounded rectangular cephalothorax and an oval abdomen.^[14] Its smaller size than other species in the genus helps distinguish it.^[15] The male has a cephalothorax that is typically 1 mm (0.04 in) long and 06 mm (0.24 in) wide. The carapace, the hard upper part of the cephalothorax, is dark brown with a black, slightly pitted eye field. There are a few brown bristles near the eyes themselves. The underside of the cephalothorax, or sternum, is brownish, as are the mouthparts, including the labium. The chelicerae are orange and have two teeth to the front and one to the back.^[6]

The male's abdomen is similar in dimensions to its carapace but differs substantially in its shape, being substantially more rounded. The top is a lighter brown and covered in a delicate hairless scutum white the underside is either yellowish-grey or blackish with a pattern of light dots forming four lines. The spider has light spinnerets. Its front legs are black with yellow parts while the remainder are mainly brown with lighter yellowish-grey patches. The pedipalps are brown to orange and covered in dark hairs.^[6]

The female is slightly larger than the male. It has a cephalothorax that is ranges between 1.1 and 1.2 mm (0.04 and 0.05 in) in length and 0.7 and 0.8 mm (0.03 and 0.03 in) in width. The carapace is similar to the male but the abdomen is very different. It is between 1.1 and 1.3 mm (0.04 and 0.05 in) long and 0.8 and 0.9 mm (0.03 and 0.04 in) wide. It is a similar brown to the carapace, with two large patches to the front, two stripes that look like a succession of chevrons in an indented pattern in the middle and a series of diamonds to the rear, all lighter.^[6] The pattern is typical for the genus. The bottom is yellowish. The legs are all yellowish with some parts brown.^[16]

The spider has distinctive copulatory organs. The female epigyne has slight evidence of sclerotization and two shallow depressions. It has two copulatory openings placed to the sides that lead to simple insemination ducts, spermathecae and accessory glands. The male has a yellow cymbium and palpal bulb, both covered in dark hairs.^[6] The palpal tibia has a relatively wide spike, or tibial apophysis. The palpal bulb is rounded with spermatophore winding through it and a sickle-shaped embolus at its top.^[17] The spider is similar to the related Euophrys falciger, but the embolus is longer.^[18]

Euophrys spiders live across the world, although those found in North America may be accidental migrants and those in Central and South America misidentifications.^[19][20] In Africa, they are mainly found in the southern part of the continent.^[21] Euophrys meridionalis is endemic to South Africa.^[2][22] It has been found only in the eastern part of Free State and western part of KwaZulu-Natal.^[16] The male holotype was discovered in 1977 in the Royal Natal National Park.^[23] The first of the species to be found in Free State were three males and a female near Harrismith in Platberg Nature Reserve during 2012. Other examples have been found near Drakensberg and Lüneburg. The spider thrives in Afromontane forest, but has also been discovered living in plantations of Eucalyptus trees.^[17]