Moggridgea microps
| Malelane Moggridgea Trapdoor Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Migidae |
| Genus: | Moggridgea |
| Species: | M. microps
|
| Binomial name | |
| Moggridgea microps Hewitt, 1915[1]
| |
Moggridgea microps is a species of spider in the family Migidae.[2] It occurs in South Africa and Eswatini and is commonly known as the Malelane Moggridgea trapdoor spider.[3]
Etymology
[edit | edit source]The specific name is Latin for "small-eyed".
Distribution
[edit | edit source]Moggridgea microps has a wide distribution across three South African provinces. It occurs in the Eastern Cape (East London, Port St. Johns), KwaZulu-Natal (Durban, Eshowe, Port Shepstone, iSimangaliso Wetland Park), and Mpumalanga (Barberton, Malelane, Mariepskop). The species is also found in Eswatini.[3]
Habitat
[edit | edit source]The species inhabits multiple biomes including Grassland, Forest, Savanna, and Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biomes at altitudes ranging from 5 to 1,328 m above sea level.[3]
Lifestyle
[edit | edit source]It is an arboreal trapdoor spider with adult females collected in February, March, May, June, and November.[3]
Description
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Moggridgea microps is known only from the female.[3]
Conservation
[edit | edit source]Moggridgea microps is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Although presently known only from females, it has a wide geographical range extending into Eswatini. It is protected in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, but additional sampling is needed to collect male specimens.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit | edit source]The species was originally described by John Hewitt in 1915 from Malelane in Mpumalanga and later revised by species:Charles E. Griswold in 1987.[4]
References
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