AW Arachnid Book: Spiders (Araneae) - Photos & Descriptions

[ExFmem]

Green Lynx Spider Peucetia pulchra (Blackwall 1865)
Family: Oxyopidae


Kruger Nat’l Park by ExF

Description
Size: Female 16-25mm, Male 11-16mm
Carapace is green with ocular area darker. Four clypeal lines are present. Abdomen with light green mediolongitudinal area with chevron patterns, bordered by two white lines; cardiac mark is branched. The legs are exceptionally long bearing dark brown spines and numerous dark brown setae with large black basal spots.
The epigynum of the female has a pit wider than long, costae vertically opposite each other and the epigynum forming an elate expansion over the funnel-shaped copulatory ducts, with the sperrnathecal orifices directed mediolaterally. The tibia of the male palp is long with two tibial spines and a very short, broad tegular apophysis. The paracymbium has a very short sharp median projection and a sinuously curved, blunt tip.



Distribution
South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Zaire, Tanzania, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi



Distribution in South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal: Kosi Bay Nature Reserve (Manguzi Forest, 5 km NW Lake Nhlange); Kranzkloof; Manguzi; Mkuzi Game Re- serve; Pinetown, Kranskloof; Ntuli river hillside. Mpumalanga: Louw's Creek; Sabie (Klipbankspruit Plantation); Kruger National Park (Skukuza Camp).



Life Style: wanderers (plant dwellers): free- running on the plants (mixed Acacia veld grasses and herbs)


(Further information on the Family Oxyopidae and Genus Peucetia can be found here: https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... 30#p529926)


https://ujcontent.uj.ac.za/vital/access ...

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Fi ... frontcover

http://www.arc.agric.za/arc-ppri/Docume ... MICPHY.pdf

[ExFmem]

Tanzania Lynx Spider Oxyopes affinis (Lessert 1915)
Family Oxyopidae

The Oxyopidae (lynx spiders) is a family of spiders with a worldwide distribution represented by nine genera and 438 species. The family name, Oxyopidae, is derived from the Greek meaning sharp sighted.

Genus Oxyopes
The genus was first established in 1804 by the French zoologist Pierre Andre’ Latreille. Oxyopes (golden or grass lynx spiders) is derived from the Greek "oxys" means "quick" and "pesos" means "footed" with reference to the spiders fleet footedness.

Like other lynx spiders, they are easily recognizable by the six larger eyes arranged hexagonally on top of the head (prosoma), with the remaining smaller two eyes in front. They are also characterized by long spine-like bristles (setae) on their legs. The integument is covered with yellow to grey spatulate setae giving the spider its cryptic colour to blend in with the vegetation.

They are diurnal ambush predators, actively hunting prey by sight. They stalk and often leap from branch to leaf and finally pounce on their prey or leap a few centimeters into the air to catch flying insects.

Oxyopes affinis

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All taken in Kruger on different dates by ExF

Distribution
This African endemic occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa. In South Africa it is recorded from seven provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, and Western Cape. Due to its wide geographical range, it is listed as Least Concern.




Habitat
A species of free-living spiders commonly sampled from vegetation where they occur in high numbers on trees and grasses. They are commonly found in agro-ecosystems and have been recorded from the Fynbos, Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Nama Karoo, and Savanna biomes.


15564_Dippenaar_Schoeman_et_al._2020_Sou_Version_1_1_57.pdf
https://www.biodiversityexplorer.info/a ... /index.htm