Mushimane

Mushimane
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Trachelidae
Genus: Mushimane
Haddad, 2025
Species:
M. tswibilinki
Binomial name
Mushimane tswibilinki
Haddad, 2025

Mushimane is a South African monotypic genus of spiders in the family Trachelidae containing the single species, Mushimane tswibilinki.

Description

Adults are only about 1.8 mm in body length.

Etymology

The genus name is a Swahili word for "little man", indicating this being possibly the smallest species of the family. "tswibilinki" indicates a man with a small penis in the Sesotho language, in reference to the short embolus in males of this species.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Haddad, C. R. (2025). "And they just keep coming: four new genera of dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae, Trachelidae)". African Invertebrates. 66 (1): 19–64. Bibcode:2025AfrIn..66...19H. doi:10.3897/AfrInvertebr.66.139299.
  2. 1 2 "Gen. Mushimane Haddad, 2025". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2026-01-21.