Anyphops lucia


Anyphops lucia is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae. It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the St Lucia Anyphops flat spider.

Distribution

Anyphops lucia is endemic to the South African KwaZulu-Natal Province. It has been recorded from iSimangaliso Wetland Park at St. Lucia and Umhlanga at an altitude of 5 m above sea level.

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biome and is a free-living cryptozoic nocturnal ground-dwelling spider.

Description

Only the female is known. The carapace is red brown with lateral dark grey irregular markings reaching to the lateral edges. The chelicerae are red-brown with a wide longitudinal inner dark brown band.
The legs are orange-brown, mottled dark grey, with patellae II and IV having a dark basal band and femur IV having a prolateral and longitudinal pale line limited by grey parallel lines. Metatarsus IV has a dark terminal spot.
The dorsum of the abdomen is whitish, dotted by grey irregular spots, with lateral and posterior portions darker. The venter is pale yellow-grey. The anterior tibiae have 6 pairs of inferior spines. Total length is 7.73 mm.

Conservation

Anyphops lucia is listed as Data Deficient due to taxonomic reasons. The species has a very small known range and more sampling is needed to collect males and determine the species' full range. It receives some protection within iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Etymology

The species is named after St. Lucia, the type locality where it was first collected.