Stasimopus mandelai
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mandela's Cork-Lid Trapdoor Spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Stasimopidae |
| Genus: | Stasimopus |
| Species: | S. mandelai |
| Binomial name | |
| Stasimopus mandelai | |
Stasimopus mandelai is a species of spider in the family Stasimopidae from the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This species occurs syntopically with S. schoenlandi and a number of other mygalomorph spiders at the Great Fish River Nature Reserve. The species was named in 2004 by zoologists Brent Hendrixson and Jason Bond "honoring Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa and one of the great moral leaders of our time."[3][4]
Stasimopus mandelai is endemic to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is known only from the type locality at Great Fish River Nature Reserve at an altitude of 323 m above sea level.[5]
Habitat and ecology
Description
Conservation
Stasimopus mandelai is listed as Critically Rare. The species has a very restricted distribution range. It is known only from one protected subpopulation. More sampling is needed to determine the full range of the species.[5]
