// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Idiops mossambicus say? I'm in a hole lot of trouble.

Mossambique Idiops Trapdoor Spider
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (SANBI Red List)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Idiopidae
Genus:	Idiops
Species:	I. mossambicus
Binomial name
	Idiops mossambicus; (Hewitt, 1919)
Synonyms
	Acanthodon mossambicus Hewitt, 1919 ;

Idiops mossambicus is a species of spider in the family Idiopidae.^[2] It occurs in South Africa and Mozambique and is commonly known as the Mossambique Idiops trapdoor spider.^[3]

Distribution

Idiops mossambicus is recorded from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and Mpumalanga, with additional records from Mozambique. The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 47 to 295 m above sea level.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits the Savanna biome. It lives in silk-lined burrows closed with a trapdoor.^[3]

Description

Idiops mossambicus is known from both sexes. The carapace and appendages are pale yellowish brown, while the abdomen is infuscated. Total length is 13.25 mm in males and 18.5 mm in females.^[3]

Conservation

Idiops mossambicus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide global range. The species is protected in Ndumo Game Reserve and Kruger National Park.^[3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by John Hewitt in 1919 as Acanthodon mossambicus from Mozambique. The species has not been revised.^[3]

References

↑ Hewitt, J. (1919). "Descriptions of new South African Araneae and Solifugae". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 6: 63–111.
↑ "Idiops mossambicus (Hewitt, 1919)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Idiopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 47. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6324502. Retrieved 23 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

[hewitt1919_mossambicus-1] Hewitt, J. (1919). "Descriptions of new South African Araneae and Solifugae". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 6: 63–111.

[wsc_mossambicus-2] "Idiops mossambicus (Hewitt, 1919)". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 23 September 2025.

[dippenaar2021-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Idiopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 47. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6324502. Retrieved 23 September 2025. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

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