Spiroctenus coeruleus

Pietermaritzburg Spiroctenus Trapdoor Spider
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Bemmeridae
Genus: Spiroctenus
Species:
S. coeruleus
Binomial name
Spiroctenus coeruleus
Lawrence, 1952

Spiroctenus coeruleus is a species of spider in the family Bemmeridae. It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

Distribution

Spiroctenus coeruleus has been recorded from Pietermaritzburg and Ndumo Game Reserve.

Habitat

The species inhabits the Savanna Biome as a ground-dwelling burrow constructor.

Description

Only males of Spiroctenus coeruleus are known to science. The cephalothorax and appendages appear slate blue due to a fine coating of powdery substance. The opisthosoma is pale brown above with small symmetrical darker markings, and yellow-brown below. The total length is 15 millimeters.

Conservation

The species is listed as Data Deficient for taxonomic reasons, as females remain unknown and the full species range requires further study.

References

  1. ↑ "Spiroctenus coeruleus Lawrence, 1952". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2021). The Bemmeridae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. Irene. pp. 1–41. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7810486. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  3. 1 2 Lawrence, R.F. (1952). "New spiders from the eastern half of South Africa". Annals of the Natal Museum. 12: 183–226.