Spiroctenus punctatus
Species of spider
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spiroctenus punctatus is a species of spider in the family Bemmeridae. It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.[1]
| Zululand Spiroctenus Trapdoor Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Bemmeridae |
| Genus: | Spiroctenus |
| Species: | S. punctatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Spiroctenus punctatus Hewitt, 1916 | |
Distribution
Spiroctenus punctatus was originally described with the type locality given only as Zululand, but has been recollected from Ngome State Forest.[2]
Habitat
Description
Only females of Spiroctenus punctatus are known to science.[3] The carapace, chelicerae, and femora of pedipalps and legs are dark olive-brown, while the patellae and more distal segments of palps and legs are paler. The opisthosoma is dark above with numerous small pale spots of irregular size. The cheliceral furrow has 11-12 promarginal teeth and six denticles. The labium bears 31 cuspules. The total length is 16 millimeters.[3]
Conservation
The species is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons, as males remain unknown and the full species range requires further study.[2]
