Palystes leroyorum
| Leroy's rain spider | |
|---|---|
 | |
| male | |
 | |
| male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Sparassidae |
| Genus: | Palystes |
| Species: | P. leroyorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Palystes leroyorum | |
Palystes leroyorum is a spider species in the family Sparassidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Leroy's rain spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Palystes leroyorum is found in the Free State, Gauteng, and Limpopo provinces. The species has been recorded from Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, and several nature reserves including Lhuvhondo Nature Reserve and Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 687 to 1,762 m.[3]
Habitat and ecology
[edit]Palystes leroyorum is a nocturnal hunter. During the day, it is inactive and shelters in vegetation. Some specimens in Bloemfontein were sampled from houses. The species has been sampled from the Grassland and Savanna biomes.[3]
Description
[edit]
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Conservation
[edit]Palystes leroyorum is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Although the species is presently known only from one sex, it has a wide geographical range.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]Only the male is known. A female has been collected and is housed in the National Museum in Bloemfontein but remains undescribed.[3]
References
[edit]- ↑ Croeser, P.M.C. (1996). "A revision of the African huntsman spider genus Palystes L. Koch 1875 (Araneae: Heteropodidae)". Annals of the Natal Museum. 37: 1–122.
- ↑ "Palystes leroyorum Croeser, 1996". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2022). The Sparassidae of South Africa. Version 2. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 43. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6614498.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
