Biology:Scytodes silvatica
| Forest Spitting Spider | |
|---|---|
LC (SANBI)
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Scytodidae |
| Genus: | Scytodes |
| Species: | S. silvatica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Scytodes silvatica Purcell, 1904[1]
| |
Scytodes silvatica is a species of spider in the family Scytodidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the forest spitting spider.[3]
Distribution
Scytodes silvatica is found in two South African provinces, Eastern Cape and Western Cape.[3]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits the Forest, Savanna and Thicket biomes at altitudes ranging from 1 to 1479 m above sea level. It is a wandering spider commonly collected from under stones and dark places on the soil surface.[3]
Description
Scytodes silvatica has a deep brown or purplish-black colour, mottled with yellow. The carapace has a well-developed median stripe lying between a pair of broader yellow stripes, on each side of which is a very broad, curved, black band. The latter bears a small yellow spot just before the middle of the carapace. The sides of the carapace are broadly blackened inferiorly, with a row of four yellow spots on each side and a row of larger or smaller, more irregular yellow marks above these. The posterior part of the carapace has a median yellow spot.[3]
Conservation
Scytodes silvatica is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range. The species is protected in Mkambathi Nature Reserve, Asante Sana Private Game Reserve, and Tsitsikamma National Park.[3]
Etymology
The species name is from Latin silvaticus "of the woods".
Taxonomy
The species has not been revised and is known from both sexes, but has not been illustrated.[3]
References
- ↑ Purcell, W.F. (1904). "Descriptions of new genera and species of South African spiders". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 15: 148. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.18693.
- ↑ "Scytodes silvatica Purcell, 1904". World Spider Catalog. https://wsc.nmbe.ch/species/33767. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Booysen, R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Scytodidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp. 31. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7157802.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Wikidata ☰ Q2799590 entry
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