Palystes stuarti
| Nieuwoudtville rain spider | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Sparassidae |
| Genus: | Palystes |
| Species: | P. stuarti |
| Binomial name | |
| Palystes stuarti | |
Palystes stuarti is a spider species in the family Sparassidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Nieuwoudtville rain spider.[3]
Distribution
[edit]Palystes stuarti is found in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces. The species has been recorded from Nieuwoudtville and Borrelfontein near Gouritz Mouth. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 4 to 699 m.[3]
Habitat and ecology
[edit]During the day, adults are inactive and shelter in vegetation. The type specimen was sampled in a house in the Fynbos Biome.[3]
Description
[edit]![[icon]](/everything/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (October 2025) |
Conservation
[edit]Palystes stuarti is listed as Data Deficient by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The species is under-sampled as only one other specimen has been sampled from the Western Cape. The status of the species remains obscure, and additional sampling is needed to determine the species' range.[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 stuarti Croeser, 1996". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- 1 2 3 4 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. 48. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6614498.
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