Anyphops
Anyphops is an African genus of wall spiders that was first described by Benoit in 1968.
Distribution
Most species are endemic to southern Africa, with almost sixty described species only found in South Africa. One species is endemic to Madagascar, and a few species are described from Cameroon and the DR Congo.
Life style
Members of this genus are free-living cryptozoic nocturnal spiders.
Description
Small to large spiders. Anyphops differs from other selenopid genera in the arrangement of the eyes, the number of ventral spines on tibiae I – II, the shape of the median apophysis of the male palp, the general structure of the female epigynum and the leg formulae.
Carapace flattened; subcircular; usually brown to reddish brown, with lateral dark bands or spots; chelicerae brown to orange, normally with black or grey bands; labium and sternum usually paler in colour; anterior median eyes and posterior median eyes are in a strongly recurved line; posterior median eyes larger than anterior median eyes; posterior lateral eyes the largest, anterior lateral eyes the smallest.
Abdomen flattened, round to oval; clothed in dense setae; normally grey or yellowish with brown or black dorsal defined patterns; venter yellowish, without markings.
Leg two claws with claw tufts and scopulae; laterigrade; anterior legs provided with strong, four to seven pairs of ventral spines on tibiae and metatarsi I and II; tarsal claws smooth; formulae normally 4321. Male palp with a retrolateral tibial apophysis with two branches similar in size or the dorsal longer than the ventral.
Female epigynum with a middle field reduced or well developed, represented by a depression or a septum, the lateral lobes of the epigynum well distinguished or not and, in very few cases, with slight secondary epigyneal pockets.
Taxonomy
The genus Anyphops was established by Benoit in 1968 when he reclassified African members of the family Selenopidae. The type species is Anyphops atomarius, originally described as Selenops atomarius. Most species in the genus were originally described in the genus Selenops by various authors including Lawrence, Pocock, and Simon, before being transferred to Anyphops by Benoit in 1968. The genus is part of a broader reclassification of African selenopid spiders north of the 17th parallel south.
Species
, this genus includes 64 species:Anyphops alticola – South AfricaAnyphops amatolae – South AfricaAnyphops atomarius – South Africa Anyphops barbertonensis – South Africa, EswatiniAnyphops barnardi – Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South AfricaAnyphops basutus – South Africa, LesothoAnyphops bechuanicus – South AfricaAnyphops benoiti Corronca, 1998 – MadagascarAnyphops braunsi – South AfricaAnyphops broomi – South AfricaAnyphops caledonicus – South AfricaAnyphops capensis – South AfricaAnyphops civicus – South AfricaAnyphops decoratus – South AfricaAnyphops dubiosus – South AfricaAnyphops dulacen Corronca, 2000 – NamibiaAnyphops fitzsimonsi – South AfricaAnyphops gilli – South AfricaAnyphops helenae – South AfricaAnyphops hessei – South AfricaAnyphops hewitti – Namibia, South AfricaAnyphops immaculatus – South AfricaAnyphops karrooicus – South AfricaAnyphops kivuensis Benoit, 1968 – DR CongoAnyphops kraussi – South AfricaAnyphops lawrencei – Zimbabwe, South AfricaAnyphops leleupi Benoit, 1972 – South AfricaAnyphops lesserti – South AfricaAnyphops lignicola – South AfricaAnyphops lochiel Corronca, 2000 – South AfricaAnyphops longipedatus – South AfricaAnyphops lucia Corronca, 2005 – South AfricaAnyphops lycosiformis – South AfricaAnyphops maculosus – South AfricaAnyphops marshalli – South AfricaAnyphops minor – South AfricaAnyphops montanus – South AfricaAnyphops mumai – South AfricaAnyphops namaquensis – South AfricaAnyphops narcissi Benoit, 1972 – South Africa, EswatiniAnyphops natalensis – South AfricaAnyphops ngome Corronca, 2005 – South AfricaAnyphops parvulus – South AfricaAnyphops phallus – South AfricaAnyphops pococki – South AfricaAnyphops purcelli – South AfricaAnyphops regalis – South AfricaAnyphops reservatus – South AfricaAnyphops rubicundus – South AfricaAnyphops schoenlandi – South AfricaAnyphops septemspinatus – Mozambique, South AfricaAnyphops septentrionalis Benoit, 1975 – CameroonAnyphops sexspinatus – South AfricaAnyphops silvicolellus – DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, South AfricaAnyphops smithersi – LesothoAnyphops spenceri – South AfricaAnyphops sponsae – Congo, AngolaAnyphops stauntoni – St. Helena, South AfricaAnyphops stridulans – South AfricaAnyphops thornei – South AfricaAnyphops transvaalicus – South AfricaAnyphops tuckeri – South AfricaAnyphops tugelanus – South AfricaAnyphops whiteae – South Africa