Penestomus croeseri


Penestomus croeseri is a species of spider in the family Penestomidae. It is endemic to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

Distribution

Penestomus croeseri is known only from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.

Habitat

The holotype was collected from riverine bush in the Thicket biome, where it was found at 552 m above sea level on the soil surface in a retreat-web.

Description

Only females of Penestomus croeseri are known to science. The carapace is red-brown, lighter posteriorly with a smooth texture, covered with sparse fine black setae and broad white setae mostly at the margin and fovea region. The sternum is dusky pale yellow. The chelicerae are red-brown with six promarginal teeth and three retromarginal teeth, bearing fine black setae only.
The legs are brown basally, with anterior legs red-brown distally and posterior legs pale yellow distally. The opisthosoma is medium gray dorsally without light dorsolateral patches, covered by fine black setae and broad white setae around the margin.

Conservation

The species is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN due to taxonomic reasons, as males remain unknown and the full species range requires further study.