Arandisa

Arandisa
A. deserticola from South Africa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Sparassidae
Genus:	Arandisa Lawrence, 1938
Species:	A. deserticola
Binomial name
Arandisa deserticola Lawrence, 1938

Arandisa is a monotypic genus of Namibian huntsman spiders containing the single species, Arandisa deserticola. It was first described by R. F. Lawrence in 1938, and is found in Namibia.

Distribution

Arandisa deserticola is distributed across Namibia and South Africa. In South Africa, the species is known from the Northern Cape province, specifically from Augrabies National Park, Benfontein Nature Reserve, and Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.

Habitat and ecology

The species is a ground dweller found in the Savanna and Succulent Karoo biomes at elevations ranging from 567 to 1,172 m above sea level. It inhabits arid environments across its range.

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Conservation

Arandisa deserticola is listed as least concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in three protected areas including Augrabies National Park, Benfontein Nature Reserve, and Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. There are no significant threats to the species.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by R. F. Lawrence in 1938 from Namibia. The taxonomic description was based on juvenile specimens, but illustrations of genitalia were later provided by Jäger & Kunz (2005). The species has not been revised since its original description.