Anyphops fitzsimonsi
Anyphops fitzsimonsi is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae. It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Mpumalanga Anyphops flat spider.
Distribution
Anyphops fitzsimonsi occurs in three South African provinces: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and North West. Notable localities include Barberton, Nelspruit, Pretoria, and the Lowveld National Botanical Garden.Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits Savanna and Grassland biomes at altitudes ranging from 270 to 1394 m above sea level. These are free-living cryptozoic nocturnal spiders that have been sampled from trees in avocado, macadamia and citrus orchards and commercial pine plantations. Specimens have also been found in houses.Description
Known only from the male. The carapace is yellow-brown without radiations from thoracic striae, with a lighter parallel-sided broad yellow area behind the eyes as wide as the ocular row, bisected by the striae which continues as a brown stripe onto the cephalic region.The broad median area of carapace is bordered at the sides by a wavy brown line, and the eyes are black. The opisthosoma is yellow above with a few indistinct brown markings, while the under surface and legs are yellow without black bands. The anterior tibiae have 6 pairs of inferior spines.
Total length is 8.6 mm.