Cangoderces lewisi

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Cango Cave Spider
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Telemidae
Genus: Cangoderces
Species:
C. lewisi
Binomial name
Cangoderces lewisi
Harington, 1951[1]

Cangoderces lewisi is a species of spider in the family Telemidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Cango cave spider.[3]

Distribution

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Cangoderces lewisi is known only from the Western Cape, at Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn.[3]

Habitat and ecology

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The species inhabits caves at an altitude of 357 m above sea level. Cangoderces lewisi was collected from the Cango Caves about 700 m from the entrance, where individuals were found in space webs spun in small crevices in the rock wall about 30-40 cm above the footpath in the total dark zone of the cave.[3]

Description

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Conservation

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Cangoderces lewisi is listed as critically rare due to having a small restricted distribution range and being recorded from only one locality. The status of the species remains obscure and more sampling is needed to determine the species range. The species is endangered because of commercial activities in the cave.[3]

Taxonomy

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Cangoderces lewisi is the type species of the genus Cangoderces. The species was originally described by Harington in 1951 based on seven females collected in the Cango Caves. The male was first described by Brignoli in 1978. The species has not been revised and is known from both sexes.[3]

References

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  3. ^ a b c d e Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

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