Scytodes trifoliata

Port Shepstone Spitting Spider
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Scytodidae
Genus: Scytodes
Species:
S. trifoliata
Binomial name
Scytodes trifoliata
Lawrence, 1938

Scytodes trifoliata is a species of spider in the family Scytodidae. It is endemic to South Africa and is commonly known as the Port Shepstone spitting spider.

Distribution

Scytodes trifoliata is found in three South African provinces, KwaZulu-Natal (Port Shepstone), Eastern Cape, and Mpumalanga.

Habitat and ecology

The species inhabits the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Savanna and Thicket biomes at altitudes ranging from 52 to 197 m above sea level. It is a wandering spider commonly collected from under stones and dark places on the soil surface.

Description

Conservation

Scytodes trifoliata is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Although the species is known only from females, it has a wide geographical range. The species is protected in two protected areas Cwebe Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.

Etymology

Taxonomy

The species has not been revised and is known only from females.

References

  1. ↑ Lawrence, R.F. (1938). "A collection of spiders from Natal and Zululand". Annals of the Natal Museum. 8: 471. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.8135 (inactive 3 October 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of October 2025 (link)
  2. ↑ "Scytodes trifoliata Lawrence, 1938". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 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. p. 37. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7157802. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.