Platyoides walteri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Walter's Common Scorpion Spider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| from Durban | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Trochanteriidae |
| Genus: | Platyoides |
| Species: | P. walteri |
| Binomial name | |
| Platyoides walteri (Karsch, 1887)[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Platyoides walteri is a species of spider in the family Trochanteriidae. It is the most common and widespread scorpion spider in southern Africa, found in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa, and has been introduced to Australia.[2]
Platyoides walteri has the widest distribution of any Platyoides species. In South Africa, it is found in all nine provinces at elevations ranging from 17 to 1,762 m above sea level. The species was originally described from Botshabelo in the Free State.[3]
Habitat
The species inhabits multiple biomes including Forest, Grassland, Nama Karoo, Savanna, and Thicket. It has also been recorded from commercial avocado orchards and pine plantations. Unlike other scorpion spiders that are typically found under bark or rocks, P. walteri is commonly found around human habitations, particularly under potted plants on verandahs. At Sabie State Forest, specimens were collected from pine trees using paper traps.[3]
Description
Both males and females of Platyoides walteri are known to science. The carapace and chelicerae are brown, while the sternum and three basal leg segments are orange-yellow. The sternum has a deep blackish-red border, and the remaining leg segments are more or less darkened. The opisthosoma is blackened above, sometimes with a longitudinal row of yellowish areas on each side of the median line, while the underside is paler and yellowish to whitish.[3]
