Idiops vandami

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

Distribution

Idiops vandami is a Mpumalanga endemic known only from the type locality Barberton at an altitude of 807 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 vandami is known from both sexes. The appendages are very pale brown, while the carapace is pale with a reddish tinge and the ocular region infuscated. The abdomen is purplish above with spinnerets almost white. Lower surfaces are pale, with some infuscation on the sternum.

Conservation

Idiops vandami is listed as Data Deficient due to insufficient knowledge about its distribution and threats. The species is under-collected and more sampling is needed to determine its range.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by John Hewitt in 1925 as Acanthodon vandami from Barberton. The species has not been revised.