Idiops grandis


Idiops grandis is a species of spider in the family Idiopidae. It is endemic to South Africa.

Distribution

Idiops grandis is a KwaZulu-Natal endemic recorded from Ndumo Game Reserve and Umfolozi Nature Reserve at altitudes ranging from 47 to 232 m above sea level.

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits the Savanna biome. It lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a trapdoor.

Description

Idiops grandis is known only from females. The upper surfaces of appendages and carapace are castaneous, with the legs having a reddish tinge. Ventral surfaces are paler with the sternum and coxae of the last two pairs of legs being yellowish brown. The coxa is clothed inferiorly with stout bristles, not spinules.

Conservation

Idiops grandis is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons. The species is protected in Ndumo Game Reserve.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by John Hewitt in 1915 as Acanthodon grandis from Umfolozi. The species has not been revised and requires taxonomic work, as it has three pairs of sigilla and may need to be moved to Segregara.