Hortipes merwei

Van der Merwe's basket-legged spider
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Corinnidae
Genus: Hortipes
Species:
H. merwei
Binomial name
Hortipes merwei

Hortipes merwei is a species of spider in the family Corinnidae. It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as Van der Merwe's basket-legged spider.

Distribution

Hortipes merwei is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. It has been recorded from several localities including iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Ngome State Forest, Ophathe Game Reserve, and Dukuduku Forest Station.

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits Forest, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 4 to 1,061 m above sea level. It is strongly associated with leaf litter in woodland and forest habitats, particularly Southern Mistbelt Forest. The species has also been found in commercial pine plantations.

Description

Hortipes merwei is known from both sexes.

Conservation

Hortipes merwei is listed as Vulnerable by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its small distribution range. The species is relatively widespread in northern KwaZulu-Natal and is quite common in litter samples. It is protected in three protected areas but faces threats from habitat loss due to agricultural activities, silviculture, and degradation around Lake St. Lucia.

References

  1. ↑ Bosselaers, J.; Jocqué, R. (2000). "Hortipes, a huge genus of tiny Afrotropical spiders (Araneae, Liocranidae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 256: 1–108. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2000)256<0004:HAHGOT>2.0.CO;2.
  2. ↑ "Hortipes merwei Bosselaers & Jocqué, 2000". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Haddad, C.R.; Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). The Corinnidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 49. doi:10.5281/zenodo.8300753. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.